The Sharpest Edge
by finaldragonquest
Summary: All it took was one person, just one, believing in Naruto for him to become great. Imagine then just how much more powerful he could become if he had precious people who believed in him from the very start.
1. Same Old Situation

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter I - Same Old Situation

"Die, demon spawn!"

"Go to Hell!"

"We're going to finish what the Yondaime started!"

_Why are they hurting me?_

This was what the young boy with blonde-hair – now blood-encrusted, and oceanic blue eyes – now dulled and blood-shot – thought as adults mercilessly attacked him, ravaging his small frame with vicious kicks.

_What did I do to deserve this?_

"Why won't you just die?" screeched one of the men, accompanying his fearful cry with a disturbingly violent kick to the blonde's face. The adult heard a – to his mind – satisfying sound of bones cracking. "Finally! We're getting somewhere," he gloated, feeling highly superior to the small boy who lay huddled on the ground – bruised, beaten and defeated.

_Everything hurts. I don't...I don't want this anymore..._

"Yeah!" jeered another. "Now, let's finish off the fox! Time to be–" The words died in his mouth as a kunai penetrated his heart with pinpoint accuracy. As the man's corpse fell to the floor, the adults looked about themselves fearfully, trying to determine where the attack had come from.

In a flash, two ANBU appeared amidst the gathered mob and shielded the young boy from them. One of them knelt by the boy and examined his injuries. "My God..." he breathed, taking in the extensive wounds. He was barely recognisable as a human being – so thorough had their assault been. "How could they do this?" The ANBU raised his head. "Go home," he commanded the crowd.

"No way!" shouted the man who had broken the boy's face. "The demon must die, and we're going to make it happen. Now, step aside," he said, feeling extremely daring.

"I will not warn you again. Your fellow ignored the Sandaime's command; see where it got him? Do you wish to suffer the same? Now, go home," the ANBU repeated, already feeling for his kunai.

He felt a slight tug on his ankle. Shocked, he looked down into the tear-filled eyes of the boy. "Please, don't hurt them," he panted out, his body racked with pain. The ANBU could see it; the way the boy's body would shiver involuntarily.

"Why shouldn't I?" the ANBU asked callously. Although he wanted nothing more than to end these miserable excuses for human beings, he also knew that he would listen to the boy's request, if he could give a valid enough reason to warrant it.

The boy ground out a small smile. "One day, I will be Hokage. I will protect all the people of Konoha." His smile became a bit brighter for a second before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed.

"Hokage, eh? What a noble dream..." muttered the ANBU to himself. Ignoring the protests of the crowd, he scooped up the boy and faced them all. "You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. This boy–"

"Is nothing but a demon in disguise!" shouted one of the crowd, drawing cries of agreement from several others. Their bloodlust was not yet sated.

"This boy is the only reason why you are still able to draw breath!" shouted the ANBU, and the crowd fell silent as they felt the killing intent flood in their direction. It was uncommon for an ANBU to be emotional, so for them to illicit such a response from this man meant that they had made a grievous error of judgement. "If not for his sacrifice and that of the Yondaime, this village would no longer exist. Who gave you the right to attack the saviour of this village?" The crowd mumbled to themselves, their earlier bravado falling flat in the face of a true threat. "Well? Does anyone have an answer? Speak!"

The tension was unbearable. Finally, one broke the silence. "The Yondaime should have just killed the beast when he had the chance!" A kunai, pressed to his windpipe, stopped the man cold.

"To scum like you, he will be called Yondaime-_sama_, am I understood?" The man rapidly nodded his head, ever mindful of the cold steel pressed to his skin. "I will be speaking to Sandaime-sama about this attack. Mark my words, however. If I were to have my way, not one of you would live to see tomorrow. Now, leave." His last words were brutally cold and remorseless. The mob crawled over one another in their haste to leave.

With the crowd finally dispersed, the ANBU took a closer look at the wounded child in his arms. "Forgive me, Naruto-kun," he whispered. "I should have been here to protect you." He turned to his fellow ANBU. "I will take the boy to the Hokage. Secure the area, and make any necessary preparations." With a swift salute, he was away, Naruto safely ensconced within his arms.

xOxOx

He rapped on the Hokage's door three times, waited a cautionary number of seconds, and walked in. "Ah, Kakashi, what brings you–" The greeting died on the aged Hokage's lips as he beheld a maskless Kakashi and a bloodied Naruto held tightly in the former's arms. "Naruto!" he cried as he got to his feet. "Lay him down on the desk, Kakashi," he ordered, before clicking his fingers.

Without hesitation, two more ANBU knelt at the Hokage's feet. "What are your orders, Hokage-sama?" asked one.

"Head to the hospital, and bring me two healers. Do it quickly." With a short nod, they disappeared. The Sandaime turned his attention to Kakashi. "Tell me what happened, Kakashi, and do not omit a single detail."

So Kakashi told the Hokage everything that he had seen and heard, both the madness and the brutality. When he was finished, the Hokage was unsurprised to find a tear rolling down the ANBU's face. "Do not fear any longer, Kakashi. Naruto is safe now," he said kindly.

The ANBU from earlier shunshined before the Sandaime. "The healers will be here momentarily, Hokage-sama."

"My thanks," replied the Hokage smoothly, looking as Kakashi wiped away any evidence of his emotional weakness. By the time the two healers had reached the Hokage's office, Kakashi was standing resolutely to the side, mask back in place – both physical and emotional – while the Hokage stooped over Naruto's battered body. "My thanks for your speedy arrival," he said quickly, moving aside to let the healers see their charge. Both gasped in shock. "Help him."

While one of the healers immediately rushed to Naruto's side and ran through handsigns, the other stood perfectly still, a sneer on her face. "Why?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Why should I heal him? Help him?" The sneer was more pronounced than before.

"Think carefully on what you say," warned the Sandaime. He was in no mood to verbally joust with anyone this night, particularly this uppity woman.

"Help me heal him," pleaded the first healer, her brow furrowed in concentration, her forehead smothered in sweat as she tried to heal him.

"Don't tell me you can forgive this beast?" she snapped. "Because of him, I lost...everyone..." Her fingers began to twitch menacingly.

Kakashi had seen and heard enough. With a well-aimed chop, the woman fell to the floor, unconscious. "Forgive me, Hokage-sama," he said contritely, "but I deemed her to be a threat to Naruto-kun's well-being."

The Hokage waved off his apology. "It's quite alright. Clearly, I am going to have to rethink placing her in the hospital if she can be quite so choosy about the patients she cares for." The Hokage turned to the first healer and graced her with a smile. "Thank you for helping Naruto, Hitomi."

Hitomi merely shook her head. "There's no need to thank me, Hokage-sama. My duty is to help those in need. Besides, Naruto-kun did not ask for this burden to be placed upon his shoulders."

Kakashi gave a smile behind his mask. Perhaps there was another who understood.

Minutes elapsed before Hitomi gave a sigh of relief. "I'm finished, Hokage-sama. What I have been unable to heal myself, Naruto-kun's 'tenant' is repairing. I imagine he will wake up in a couple of days."

"Thank you, Hitomi," said the Hokage, and he truly meant it.

Hitomi wasn't finished, though. "Of course, to make completely sure, I would like to check up on him tomorrow. Will this be okay?"

"That will be fine."

With a small smile, Hitomi ran her hand through Naruto's hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto-kun. Sleep well." Bowing to the Hokage and giving a short nod to Kakashi, she left the room.

Kakashi stared after her. "I didn't think there would be anyone who understood," he said after a few moments.

"She is a truly remarkable young woman," said the Hokage. "She lost both of her parents in the attack, yet she refuses to blame Naruto for it. Honestly, I am glad that she was one of the two healers I summoned. I don't want to think of how things may have turned out if they had both been like..." He trailed off, his eyes indicating the other woman, slumped on the ground in unconsciousness.

"They wouldn't have gotten within five feet of Naruto-kun," swore Kakashi.

The Sandaime chuckled. "I don't doubt it. Now, we must decide what to do next. It seems clear to me that Naruto is not safe being left alone in the village."

"I agree, Hokage-sama, therefore, I have a suggestion." He steadied himself. "I would like to take Naruto-kun away from the village and train him personally." The Sandaime studied him with hooded eyes, so Kakashi continued. "Today's attack just proves that the majority of people in this village are far too closed-minded. If we hadn't have gotten to Naruto-kun when we did..."

He didn't need to finish his sentence. The evidence was in front of the aged Hokage's eyes. He sighed deeply. "You are correct, of course, Kakashi. Will you be comfortable doing this?" he asked suddenly.

"Hokage-sama?"

"You have not long returned from an extended mission. Not only that, but will being with Naruto not dredge up uncomfortable memories of the Yondaime?"

Kakashi allowed himself a small smirk, not that the Hokage saw it. "Honestly, if I didn't do this, I don't think I would ever be able to face Minato-sensei again." The Hokage suppressed a smile at Kakashi's words. "Not only that, if I were to abandon Naruto-kun now, I would be no better than the closed-minded people I've been condemning. I may be many things, but a hypocrite is not one of them."

"Very well. Hatake Kakashi, you are assigned the protection and training of Uzumaki Naruto. This will be an A-Rank Mission, with the pay appropriate to it. Do you accept?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"The only considerations I ask are that you return to Konoha for a few days once a year. This is so I can see both Naruto's and your own progress. I expect you to maintain yourself, both mentally and physically, in case anything dire were ever to happen." Kakashi gave a short nod of agreement. "Also, I want you both to return so that Naruto can enrol in the Ninja Academy with his peers." The Sandaime came around to place a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Naruto is likely to be very distrustful of you at first. It will take a great deal of patience for him to open up to you."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," said Kakashi firmly. "I would never force Naruto-kun to do anything he doesn't want, aside from during training. At those times, I will be as forceful as is necessary. This will be for his own good."

"Agreed." The Hokage looked fondly upon the heavily asleep boy. "Sleep well, Naruto. Tomorrow will be a better day. Now, Kakashi, we will iron out the finer details." With a short nod, the two men began to work out a plan of action for Naruto and his future.

xOxOx

Naruto woke slowly, blinking his eyes. It was much too bright for his liking. He squinted as he tried to remember what had happened. The last thing he could remember, other than the searing pain making it difficult to breathe, was a _kind_ voice, the first since he could remember. He was used to the glares, the badly concealed words of anger and the poorly veiled – and not veiled at all – threats, but someone who sounded appalled by what they were seeing was...different. "Where am I?" he wondered out loud.

"You are currently resting in my home, Naruto-kun," came a soft feminine voice. Naruto started in alarm and winced as the bruises on his body stretched awkwardly. "Stay calm, Naruto-kun. I will not hurt you."

Naruto stopped his upward momentum, but regarded the woman in front of him with jaded eyes. Just because she was speaking to him in a soft voice didn't mean that she wouldn't turn on him at any given moment. It was an unfortunate trend with the people in his life. He saw warm honey hair surrounding a delicately angled face, set with the brightest jade eyes he had ever seen. She smiled warmly at him. "How do you feel, Naruto-kun?"

He considered the question. Although he still felt a little sore, he supposed he wasn't too bad. "A little thirsty," he answered slowly, testing how far he could go with this surprisingly different woman.

"That can be easily remedied," she replied, sitting up immediately.

Naruto watched her leave the room, his mind in shock. _She didn't shout at me. Not once._

"Here you are," came her melodic voice a few moments later, a glass in her dainty hands. Naruto gratefully accepted it. "Drink slowly," she advised, and Naruto nodded. Once he was finished, she took the glass from him and set it aside. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thank you," replied Naruto, before he studied her face some more. "Who are you?" he decided upon finally, not noticing how abrupt his question sounded.

Her lips parted for a second as she laughed lightly. "There's the Naruto-kun I know," she trilled, leaving Naruto thoroughly confused. "Well, in answer to your question, my name is Hitomi. This is my home, and you are my patient."

Naruto nodded slowly at her explanation. "Did he hurt them?"

"Did who hurt whom?"

"The ANBU who helped me," Naruto explained. "He seemed really angry."

Her mouth set in a familiar expression, one of fury. Naruto had seen it so many times, he had memorised the way the muscles of the mouth would change. He instantly recoiled from her.

Hitomi realised her mistake. "Oh, Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry. I'm not angry at you, honestly." Slowly, shakily, she reached out and held her palm out to him. "Naruto-kun?"

He looked from her eyes – steady warmth radiated from them once more – to her outstretched hand. _What does she want me to do? Is she trying to show me that she doesn't want to hurt me?_ He didn't want to hope.

"I'm really not angry at you, I swear it. I'm...upset by what those _people_ did to you." Her mouth took on a definite scowl.

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

The way he instantly said it, without any thought or preamble, made Hitomi's heart clench. Nobody should have to feel as though violent attacks were normal, yet alone one as defenceless as Naruto. What hope did he stand against people more than four times his age?

"You shouldn't have to be used to it, not at all."

The two fell silent for a moment. Naruto was absorbed in thoughts of how he had never seen this pretty lady with the kind eyes, while Hitomi was trying to reconcile this vulnerable Naruto with the rambunctious, always energetic boy who ran about the streets of Konoha declaring himself to be the next Hokage.

Finally, Naruto spoke up. "How long have I been here?"

Hitomi seemed grateful for the change of topic. "Almost three days. You've had me very worried, Naruto-kun."

"I'm sorry," he said automatically.

"It's nothing to apologise about," she said gently. "While you've been resting, I've been able to check you for any other injuries. Thankfully, any injuries you had are now gone."

Naruto nodded. This was the expected response. For as long as he could remember, it didn't matter how badly he was hurt, he would always be fully healed within a matter of days. "How much longer do I have to stay here?"

"Are you getting bored of my company?" asked Hitomi disarmingly.

"No, it isn't that," said Naruto, flustered. "I just don't want to put you out."

"Naruto-kun," began Hitomi seriously, "if I didn't want you here, I would not have brought you here in the first place, alright?"

"You're awake!" Those were the words that Naruto heard before a slight weight bounced onto the bed by Hitomi. A girl, about his age, with platinum-blonde hair and bright teal eyes, looked at him with a beaming smile.

"Here you are, Ino-chan," said Hitomi lovingly, an easy smile on her own face. "Naruto-kun, this is my daughter, Ino. Ino-chan, this is Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hello, Naruto-san," said Ino with a mischievous grin. "My name is Yamanaka Ino. Pleased to meet you!" Her eyes closed tightly as she beamed at the boy, who looked astounded. Never before had someone said that they were pleased to meet him, yet alone someone his own age...And the way she smiled at him. It made him feel somewhat lighter.

He couldn't help himself but to smile back at the girl with the bright eyes. "Hello, Ino-san, it's a pleasure to meet you as well," he said with a shy smile.

"Well now, can I leave you with Naruto-kun for a moment, Ino-chan?" asked Hitomi. "I have a few errands to run, and I don't want to leave him on his own."

"Okay," answered Ino with a short smile for her mother's benefit.

"Have fun, you two," said Hitomi as she took her leave.

Ino turned back to Naruto. "Are you feeling better?"

Naruto grinned brightly. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to Yamanaka-san."

"I helped as well," supplied Ino.

"You did?" he asked, surprised again that this girl would choose to willingly help him.

Ino giggled. "Of course I did! I fetched whatever Mom needed to help heal your wounds. They looked really bad," she ended in a whisper. "I thought you weren't going to wake up."

She looked on the verge of tears. Naruto realised that it must have been awful for her to see him, bruised and bloodied, barely moving, barely breathing. "Hey, Ino-san?"

"Yes?"

"No need to cry!" he said loudly, drawing her attention in the most fabulous way imaginable.

"I wasn't crying!" she snapped as she gave him a playful nudge.

"That's good," he said, before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Crying doesn't change anything."

"What do you mean?"

"...It's nothing, Ino-san. Now, tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I'm going to be the greatest kunoichi ever!" she said happily, her voice regaining its cheery quality. "Better than Tsunade-sama! That way, I'll be so strong, I can protect everyone I love."

"I know you can do it," said Naruto strongly, his voice ringing with belief. "I believe in you, Ino-san."

Ino flushed at his words. "Thank you, Naruto-san," she said shyly, her cheeks still a merry shade of pink. "What about you? What do you see yourself being in the future?"

"Me? I'm going to be the greatest Hokage, better than all the other Hokage combined! I'll be amazingly strong, and be able to use lots of amazing jutsu."

"That sounds...amazing," said Ino, cheekily borrowing one of Naruto's seemingly favourite words to complete her thoughts as to his future goals. She believed he could do it as well. Even though she had only spoken to him for a few minutes, she could see that he was determined to achieve his ambitions. "Well, I believe in you as well, Naruto-san. You will become the greatest Hokage ever; I just know it."

_So, this is what it feels like to have somebody finally accept and believe in me. It feels...nice._

"Thank you, Ino-san," said Naruto breathily, not trusting himself to say anything more.

Time passed quickly for the two, asking and answering questions in equal amounts. Ino learned that Naruto possessed an almost unhealthy obsession with ramen; he enjoyed playing pranks on people; and he got hurt really badly on a regular basis. He hadn't meant to reveal that piece of information to her, but when she asked about where he lived, he couldn't give her an adequate answer. His vague gestures of "Wherever I fall asleep" didn't make sense to her. Surely he had a home to go to, right? She resolved to speak with her mother when she returned.

Naruto, meanwhile, learned that Ino was an only child, loved by both her mother and father. Her father was a part of Intelligence; his duty was to extract information from those who were unwilling to cooperate. Her mother, Hitomi, on the other hand, was nearly the complete opposite of her husband. As a medic, her duty was to see to the well-being of her patients. Ino had remarked that she was intending on learning the skills her mother employed so she could keep her future team healthy. Naruto thought it was a great idea, and told her so.

"How has the patient been?" asked Hitomi as she walked into the room, her eyes so warming.

"Naruto-san is looking much better," reported Ino, moving to her mother.

"I knew I could count on you, Ino-chan," smiled Hitomi as she ruffled Ino's hair playfully, earning her a pout. "Would you be a dear and help your father? He's in the kitchen."

"Okay," answered Ino instantly, already on her way out. "I'll be back soon, Naruto-san."

"Okay, bye," replied Naruto, giving her a small smile of farewell. Hitomi watched the two with a cautious tugging to her lips. The news she had to convey was going to prove monumental, and she wasn't sure if Naruto was ready. "Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Yamanaka-san?"

"Sandaime-sama wants to see you first thing tomorrow."

Naruto quaked. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, no, you aren't in any sort of trouble at all," she quickly reassured. "Truth be told, he wanted to see you today, but I wouldn't let him."

Naruto gaped. "You can tell the old man what to do? That's amazing, Yamanaka-san! You must be super strong!"

Hitomi smiled at his exuberance. "Naruto-kun, it isn't right to call Hokage-sama an old man."

"But he is," said Naruto obliviously, "and besides, if Hokage-jiji has a problem with it, that's his problem. I'm going to be taking his job in the future."

The way his mouth split into a mischievous grin completely disarmed Hitomi, rendering the admonishment she had meant to employ meaningless. "What am I going to do with you?" she sighed, marking the way his chuckles sounded. They were still a bit forced, but Hitomi was pleased to see that, at least with her and Ino, Naruto seemed to be opening up. She hoped their interaction might ultimately help him. After all, if the Sandaime wanted Naruto's audience, it could only mean that something..._troublesome_ was going to happen. "Now, Naruto-kun, I want you going to sleep. No 'buts,'" she added, noting the rebellious way Naruto had begun to move his lips. "You're still recovering, and your body needs all the rest it can get. Besides, if you behave, I might be persuaded to take us all out for ramen tonight," she tacked on as a seeming afterthought.

It was all Naruto needed to hear though, as he instantly lay back and got himself settled. "Ramen, yay!" whispered Naruto excitedly as his head hit the pillow.

"Rest well, Naruto-kun," breathed Hitomi, already retreating from the room. As she slid through and closed the door behind herself, she was met by a gaze so similar to her own. "Ino-chan, did you help your father?" Ino's bright smile answered the question. "Naruto-kun is resting for now, so let him be for a while, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, by the way, Ino-chan. How does ramen for lunch sound?"


	2. Different Outcome

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter II – Different Outcome

"So, Uzumaki-kun," began Ino's father as Naruto happily slurped noodles, "Ino-chan tells me you want to become Hokage one day."

Naruto quickly drained the broth before sighing contently. "I don't want to become Hokage, Yamanaka-san," he said, drawing looks and gasps of confusion and shock.

"What are you saying, Naruto-san?"

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto smirked. "I _will_ become Hokage."

Ino let out an excited giggle and nodded approvingly. Hitomi laid a hand to her breast in relief. Meanwhile, the Yamanaka patriarch was studying the boy in front of him. He didn't seem as bad as everybody made him out to be. Naruto had proven himself to be respectful to his elders; he was friendly to both himself, his wife and his daughter; and he enjoyed Ichiraku, which his good friend Chōza had assured him meant that a person could not be bad.

Certainly, Ino's father was prone to erring on the side of caution rather than outright hostility. He would observe the boy for a while before making his final assessment. "Is that so? You do know that the path to becoming Hokage is very challenging. It is not for the faint-hearted."

"I know," said Naruto, tapping his used chopsticks against the counter. "It doesn't matter what gets thrown my way. I won't ever give up. To become Hokage is my dream." He faced the Yamanaka patriarch and met his eyes. "Nobody will stop me from making it come true."

To say Ino's father was impressed would be an understatement. The determination shining in those eyes belonged to somebody much older; somebody who had a much more achievable goal in mind. Just by looking into those eyes, he had the older man half convinced that it could actually happen. "Well, Uzumaki-kun, I sincerely hope that you make your dream a reality."

Naruto's face shone with unrestrained happiness. "Thank you so very much, Yamanaka-san!" he smiled, giving all three of the Yamanaka family the biggest smile he could muster.

Hitomi laughed in delight. She could tell that this was a true smile that Naruto was giving them. There was no forcing it; she could tell that he was truly pleased by what was happening. "Well, Naruto-kun, if you want to become Hokage, you need to get stronger first."

"I will! I'll be the strongest ninja in the world. I'll protect everybody," he beamed.

Naruto's grin was infectious. Pretty soon, everybody was smiling brightly. "Here you are," said the ramen shop owner, passing a large bowl to Naruto. "This one is on me. Can't have the next Hokage getting hungry, now can we?"

The owner's daughter grinned at Naruto as well, her hands deftly creating more soba noodles. "Go on, enjoy it, Hokage-sama," she giggled.

Naruto looked between the five people around him. There was Ino, smiling brightly, her teal eyes shining; Hitomi, nodding slightly in approval of something; the Yamanaka patriarch, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders; the ramen shop owner, whose booming laugh filled the room; and his daughter, who grinned mischievously at Naruto. "Ino-san; Hitomi-san; Yamanaka-san; Teuchi-san; Ayame-san; thank you all." Naruto bowed his head so they wouldn't see the tears of happiness trickling down his cheeks.

"Naruto-san?" started Ino, before Hitomi beckoned her with her finger.

"Don't worry, Ino-chan," she said in a whisper. "Naruto-kun is fine."

The look in Hitomi's eyes kept Ino from speaking further, although this was another thing she now had to get to the bottom of. Naruto had said to her that crying didn't change anything – although he had tried to deny what he said – yet here he was, crying while trying to conceal that fact, and poorly at that.

"Naruto-kun?" said Hitomi, her eyes anxiously peering at the boy. "If you don't hurry, your ramen will end up going cold, Hokage-sama."

Naruto gave a choked chuckle. Wiping at his face with the sleeve of his jacket, he beamed at the room. "That's right! Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage!" With the declaration made, he attacked the bowl of ramen before him.

xOxOx

"It's time for bed, you two," said Hitomi as she entered Naruto's impromptu bedroom. He and Ino had been talking since they returned from Ichiraku, and neither seemed like they would stop any time soon.

"Can we not stay up a bit longer?" whined Ino. She had been listening to Naruto's rendition of the time he had painted his face onto the front door of every building in the marketplace. To hear him tell it, a dozen ANBU were hot on his heels the entire time. It may have been a fantasy, but it was enjoyable to listen to nonetheless.

"Ino-chan," warned Hitomi in the tone only a mother can use.

"Fine," huffed Ino as she jumped to her feet. "You'll tell me what happened next later, won't you, Naruto-san?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed, having enjoyed an audience for the tales of his adventures. With a satisfied nod, she headed towards the door. Turning as she reached it, she waved goodbye before heading out of the room.

Naruto held his hand up in farewell, even though she couldn't see it. He suddenly seemed to notice as he looked at his upraised arm in surprise. He let a small smile light up his face and Hitomi had to stop herself from hugging the boy. It simply wasn't fair that Naruto had to suffer so much and receive so little in return. Even something as small as a friendly wave goodbye was a foreign gesture to Naruto.

She reined in her emotions as best she could. "It's time for you to sleep as well, Naruto-kun. You have to see the Hokage in the morning, remember?"

"I know, Hitomi-san," agreed Naruto, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand. Sliding down under the sheet, Naruto relaxed his head against the pillow. He waited until he heard her walk to the doorway. "Hitomi-san?"

"Naruto-kun?"

"...Thank you," he said in a whisper before squeezing his eyes shut.

Hitomi gave him a warm smile. "You're welcome, Naruto-kun. Goodnight," she said as she turned off the light and pulled the door closed behind her.

She stood still for a moment, steadying her breathing. With every new thing she learned about Naruto, her entire perception of the village kept changing. For things that someone would take for granted as normal – such as a wave of farewell or a kind word – to be looked upon as total surprises only proved that the village as a whole had done a wonderfully terrible job of ostracising him. Perhaps the monster they kept declaring Naruto to be applied to themselves much more accurately.

Shaking off the thoughts for the present, Hitomi crossed the hallway, stopping at a door with a wooden placard showing the name 'Ino-chan.' She knocked lightly before stepping in. Ino was sitting on the edge of her bed, her brow furrowed in deep thought. It was an unusual expression for her daughter to be hosting. "Is something wrong, Ino-chan?"

Ino seemed to not hear her mother at first, for she continued to maintain her position, occasionally tapping a finger against her cheek. "Where does Naruto-san live normally?" she asked finally, looking her mother in the eyes. Ino noticed the look of surprise flit across Hitomi's face before she managed to school her features. "Why is he always getting hurt? Where are his parents?" By the end of her questions, her voice was close to breaking and the starting of tears were blossoming.

Hitomi knelt by her daughter. Taking Ino's hands between her own, she chose her words carefully. "I can't answer those questions, Ino-chan, because they aren't my answers to give."

"I would ask Naruto-san himself, but I don't want to put him in an awkward situation where he feels he has to answer," replied Ino. "I'm not sure how to ask him without hurting him."

Hitomi felt pride rush through her veins as she looked at the fierce determination on Ino's face. It was an uncommon trait for her daughter to express, but one which was rapidly becoming more prevalent whenever Naruto was mentioned. "Perhaps he will tell us when he's ready," she said vaguely.

Ino stamped down the rapidly rising frustration. She wasn't trying to be nosy, or intrude upon Naruto and his secrets; she just wanted to make sure that he would be okay once he left their home. What had her concerned was the simple fact that nobody had come to visit him, not once. No parents, relatives or friends. Perhaps if it had been a day she could overlook it, however, he had been unconscious for three days. Surely somebody must be worried, or wondering where Naruto was?

And not only that; when he was first brought to their home, Ino had gasped at the deep-set bruising and pale skin of Naruto. Even if he had started training early, there was no reason she could think of as to why he should have been so very hurt. "...I just don't want to see him hurt like that again," she said quietly.

Hitomi could see the emotions running through Ino's mind quite clearly. Her eyes always reflected the feelings within, so she was glad to see that Ino had taken a liking to Naruto. It would not hurt either of them to be able to call one another friends. "Come here, Ino-chan," she said, opening her arms to her daughter. Ino immediately took the invitation and snuggled against her mother, resting her head against Hitomi's collarbone. "Naruto-kun is fine now, right?" Ino nodded sleepily. "From now on, we'll make certain that he stays that way, if you'd like?" Another nod from Ino, this time accompanied by a yawn. Hitomi placed her lips gently against Ino's forehead and allowed them to linger.

Ino yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand. She was so tired, but she wanted to make sure that she said what she was thinking before she possibly forgot. "If he doesn't have anywhere to stay, can he stay with us?"

Hitomi blinked in surprise. "If that is the case, Ino-chan, yes, if he wants to, okay?"

Ino sighed happily against her mother before allowing her tired eyes to close. Within a few moments, her breathing levelled out and she was asleep.

Hitomi looked upon her daughter's sleeping form and couldn't help but smile. "Oh, Ino-chan. You make me so proud everyday," she breathed, before gently laying Ino in her bed.

xOxOx

"Are they asleep, Hitomi?"

Hitomi gave a soft nod to her husband before settling next to him. He easily wrapped an arm around her and hugged her close to him. "Ino-chan is such an amazing child, Inoichi," she said as he idly twirled his fingers through her hair.

"I know," Inoichi easily agreed, a smile blossoming on his face. "We couldn't have asked for a better daughter."

"She wants Naruto-kun to live here with us, you know?" she said conversationally.

"She does?" he asked, surprised. "When did she say that?"

"A few minutes ago, when I went to tuck her in. She wanted to know whether Naruto-kun has parents and where he lives. What was I supposed to tell her, Inoichi?" Her hands were clasped tightly together in front of her.

"What did you tell her?" he asked gently, placing his own hands over both of hers.

"I told her that the answers were his to give. I know it was a weak reason, but is it right for us to tell her about that night? About Naruto-kun and the sacrifice of his parents? Is it okay for us to tell her that nearly everybody she knows has hurt Naruto-kun at some point in his life?"

She began shivering, her body suddenly feeling cold. "Hitomi," began Inoichi, wrapping his arms around her back, pulling her flush against his chest. "You were asked difficult questions. I'm not certain I'd have been able to think of any better response if put in that situation." Pulling his head back, he kissed her lips softly, a lingeringly gentle contact.

Hitomi felt herself warming, thanks to her husband's soft touch and calming voice. Her shivering slowed to a stop. "Thank you, Inoichi," she murmured, enjoying being comforted. His only response to her thanks was to hold her a little tighter. "Inoichi?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean what you said?"

"About what?"

"When you said you believe in Naruto-kun and his dream. Do you really think he can achieve that goal?"

He thought about it for a few seconds before replying. "Honestly, I think that he has chosen one of the most difficult things to achieve in this world as his dream. In the history of our village, there have so far been only four Hokage, out of any number of shinobi which have been born. You know that the Hokage is the strongest, most respected ninja in the village. For Uzumaki-kun, his chances of achieving his dream have already taken a heavy beating because of people believing him to be...well, you know. On top of that is the fact that his chakra control will likely prove nearly impossible for him to master because of the sheer amount he will have, thanks in part to...you know, again. A betting man would never take an opportunity on him."

Hitomi nodded at her husband. His words were what she had expected to hear. They were what she would have said herself if asked the question. "I understand," she said.

Inoichi then did something she didn't expect. "Luckily, however, I am not a betting man." Hitomi looked up at her husband, shocked by what he seemed to be saying. She searched his eyes for any hint of deceit, but found nothing. "I saw something when I looked in his eyes, Hitomi."

"What was it?"

"Determination. The drive to do whatever is necessary to achieve whatever goals are set. If anybody can do what they set out to achieve, that boy can. I honestly believe he can become Hokage, as long as he gets given the help he will need. If he continues to be ignored by the villagers, we will end up losing a valuable asset. Still, if that were ever to happen, I may find myself with a little free time. Perhaps I could show him a few basic skills." His eyebrows raised at his suggestion, and he smiled at Hitomi.

Hitomi latched herself onto Inoichi, her lips crashing into his. They stayed together for a span, each showing just how much they cared for the other through the intensity of their kisses and the fierce way their hands clutched onto one another. "You, Yamanaka Inoichi, are a wonderful man," she said, her eyes shining with belief.

"I love you," he said seriously, kissing both of her closed eyes with deliberate care and softness. Hitomi's lips provided Inoichi with all the response he would ever need.

xOxOx

"Now, Naruto. I suppose you're wondering why I've asked for you to be here?" asked the aged Hokage, peering at Naruto over the brim of his pipe.

"You've finally realised that you aren't able to be Hokage anymore, so you need to pass the job onto somebody else, and who better to become the next Hokage than me!" replied Naruto with a beaming grin.

The Sandaime chuckled at the response. It was thoroughly arrogant and yet innocent at the same time. It was so typically Naruto. "While I'm certain you'd make an excellent Hokage one day, Naruto, I'm afraid I have to inform you that I don't feel like giving up the job any time soon." He had to stifle another chuckle as he watched Naruto visibly deflate. "No, what I needed to speak to you about was something very important." He watched Naruto's face brighten, his interest piqued.

"What is it? What's very important?"

"While I know you are not yet a registered shinobi, I know that your desire is to become one, correct?"

"Of course! I'm going to be Hokage, and don't you forget it!" exclaimed Naruto boisterously.

"Well, since that's the case, I have an important, and ultimately secret mission I can assign you."

Naruto shot to his feet. "A mission, really?"

The Sandaime nodded his head. "Yes, Naruto, however, this is not a mission for one person. This is for two people, and I have just the right person in mind." He snapped his fingers and a tall man with silver-grey hair and a face-mask entered the room. "Naruto, meet Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi stood calmly, his one visible eye focused on Naruto. "Yo, Naruto-kun. Sandaime-sama tells me that we are going to be teammates for a while."

"This will be an infiltration mission," supplied the Sandaime. "Naruto. Along with Kakashi, the two of you will be travelling to Sunagakure. I have been hearing some troublesome rumours from there recently. Your mission will be to assess the situation in Suna and report back anything suspicious. This will be a B-Rank extended infiltration mission with the pay appropriate. Uzumaki Naruto. Hatake Kakashi. Do you both understand and accept this mission?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Kakashi easily.

"Does this mean that I'm a shinobi now?" asked Naruto, a giddy grin on his face.

"You cannot be an officially registered ninja of Konohagakure until you graduate from the Academy, Naruto." Naruto's grin turned into a frown of despondency. "However, I have a feeling that Kakashi may be willing to help you with some basic training while you travel together. I feel that whatever he may choose to impart would prove beneficial."

"Why would Hatake-san want to train me?"

"This mission will require the two of us to be able to work together as a two-man cell, Naruto-kun," said Kakashi, fielding the question. "If we were to come under attack, Naruto-kun, I would much rather have you able to not only protect yourself, but also be able to potentially provide me with assistance, than for you to be unable to do anything." When Naruto stayed quiet, Kakashi decided to play upon what he knew of Naruto. "You don't have to train with me if you don't want to," he said wistfully, fully expecting Naruto to take the bait.

"No, no, I want to!" said Naruto quickly, making Kakashi smile behind his mask. Naruto was predictable to a fault. He knew the boy would never turn away a chance to achieve his dream, and becoming strong and dependable was certainly a prerequisite. Learning ninja skills from somebody older than himself in a one-on-one situation would no doubt allow Naruto to learn a great deal. Add to that the fact that Naruto would not be allowed to enter the Academy, much less graduate from it, for at least one more year, and he knew that Naruto would leap at the opportunity. "It's just that...can I tell Hitomi-san where I'll be going?"

"Hitomi?" said the Hokage slowly. "Naruto, this is a B-Rank mission, one that requires the utmost secrecy."

"I know that!" Naruto blurted before closing his mouth and breathing deeply. "It's just...she's been so nice to me. Can I just walk away without telling her what I'll be doing?"

With a sigh, the Sandaime studied Naruto closely. The boy looked truly upset at the thought of simply leaving without so much as a goodbye. It seemed as though Hitomi had had a positive effect upon Naruto and his fragile psyche if he thought so highly of her. His decision was made. "I will make one small allowance, Naruto. You may tell Hitomi and her family that you will be leaving for an extended training trip. You may not tell them you are on a mission, who you will be travelling with nor where you will be going. This is very important, Naruto. A vital part of being a shinobi is being trustworthy. You could be the strongest ninja in the world, possessing the most destructive arsenal of jutsu, yet if you are not worthy of other people's trust, you will not go far. Can I place my trust in you, Naruto?"

Naruto beamed at the Hokage while nodding his head vigorously. "Yes, you can! Thanks, Hokage-jiji!"

The Sandaime smiled, despite the different nickname he had been given. "Very well, then. I expect the two of you to be on the road to Suna by nightfall. Dismissed." With a nod, Kakashi led Naruto out of the Hokage's office.

"Say, Hatake-san," began Naruto as he and Kakashi walked along the main street leading from the Hokage's office.

"What is it, Naruto-kun?"

"What kinds of things will you be teaching me?" He was bouncing as he walked, a sign that his excitement was reaching untold heights.

Kakashi put a hand on Naruto's shoulder softly, and closed his visible eye. "I'm not telling."

"No fair!" pouted Naruto, while Kakashi gave a short laugh.

"You'll find out what I have planned to share with you as we travel, Naruto-kun, and not a second before. I will let you know that this training will definitely give you a platform from which to begin your pursuit of becoming Hokage."

"Really?"

"Really," said Kakashi simply. "Now, Naruto-kun, I will meet you at the main gate at sunset. Do not be late. You don't need to worry about supplies. I'll make sure we're well equipped. Just bring yourself, alright?"

"Okay, Hatake-san," replied Naruto brightly. With a brief wink of his eye, Kakashi waved goodbye, taking a leisurely stroll through the marketplace. Naruto gave a brief look to the Hokage Monument, specifically the head of the Yondaime. He smiled as he imagined his own face atop there one day. "Uzumaki Naruto, Godaime Hokage!" He grinned gleefully before heading in the direction of Ino's home.

xOxOx

Arriving at the Yamanaka residence, Naruto stopped, suddenly feeling apprehensive. While he had been revelling in the opportunity to go on a mission despite his not being an officially recognised shinobi, he had forgotten that he would be leaving the village, and possibly for a not inconsiderable length of time. How was he to tell Hitomi who had been so very kind to him? How could he possibly repay her for her generosity? What of Ino? Although they had only known one another for the majority of a day, he liked to think that they could possibly become friends. How could that happen if he was never going to be around? Would she forget about him? Would things just return to the status quo?

"Naruto-kun? Is everything alright?" Hitomi's soft voice roused Naruto from his introspective thoughts. She peered at him, her eyes conveying her concern.

Naruto put on his biggest smile. "Everything is great!" he exclaimed brightly, leading Hitomi to narrow her eyes.

"Naruto-kun, what aren't you telling me?" When Naruto remained quiet, but his whole head seemed to shift towards the ground more, Hitomi continued her line of questioning. "Did something happen during your meeting with the Hokage?"

Naruto sighed inwardly. He knew that he would have to tell them what was going to happen. He just didn't know how to word it properly. "Hitomi-san, I...I have to go."

"Go? Go where? What are you talking about, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto took a deep, steadying breath before beginning. "It would be easier if I only have to say it once."

"...I understand," said Hitomi. "Wait in the kitchen, Naruto-kun. I'll fetch Inoichi and Ino-chan."

Naruto nodded, already feeling numb. As excited as he was, he felt like he was going to be letting Hitomi down, the first person to acknowledge him, even if it didn't truly make any sense. Still, he wasn't going to back out on this chance. To become Hokage, he would endure any and all trials. This was what he had sworn. It just so happened that this particular trial was not one he had ever had in mind.

With a resigned shuffle, Naruto headed for the kitchen and settled himself. He waited in the near silent house, his loud breathing the only noise to be heard. He used the time to think about what he was going to say. He wanted them to know just how grateful he was for their kindness. He needed to let Hitomi know that he would always be indebted to her. She didn't have to help him, nor allow him to stay in her home. She was, and would always be, his first precious person.

He wanted to thank Ino for taking the time to speak with him, to make him laugh. He wished they had more time to talk together, but for now, that wish would have to remain such.

He had to let Inoichi know how thankful he was to have met him, if only for a short time. He wanted to make sure the older man was aware of just how much his belief in Naruto and his dream meant.

"Naruto-san? Is everything alright?" Ino spoke from behind him, causing him to whirl on the chair.

"Oh, hello Ino-san. I'll...well...I'll explain what I can in a minute, okay?" He spotted Inoichi entering. "Hello again, Yamanaka-san."

"Uzumaki-kun," nodded Inoichi, coming to take a seat next to the blonde boy. "What is this all about? Hitomi wouldn't say."

"That's because she doesn't know, Yamanaka-san," said Naruto, rising to his feet as Hitomi entered the room, her usually bright eyes now dulled a little in concern. "Hitomi-san," Naruto said earnestly.

"Naruto-kun, what is going on? Will you tell us now?"

Naruto took several deep breaths, trying to calm his erratically beating heart. "I went to see Hokage-jiji today," he began, feeling as though it might be easier to simply list everything that happened, rather than try to make a long-winded speech out of it. "He has offered me a chance."

"Chance?" repeated Ino, her mind digesting what she had heard thus far. "What chance?"

Naruto breathed deep once more. "I'm leaving the village," he blurted out. "Not permanently!" he continued, noting the looks of shock on the faces of the Yamanaka women. "I'm going to be on an extended training trip."

"A training trip," said Inoichi, his mind already figuring out that the 'training trip' as Naruto put it was nothing more than a cover for something else. "How long is this for?"

"Honestly, I have no idea," admitted Naruto sheepishly.

"You have no idea how long you will be gone, is that right, Naruto-san?" asked Ino, having to repeat the words since they seemed so outlandish.

Naruto's eyes met hers, aquamarine to cerulean, and he nodded solemnly. "That's right."

"You won't be going alone though, right, Naruto-kun?" questioned Hitomi, already feeling queasy. If he wasn't safe in the village, defending himself against common villagers with no skill, what chance did he have against potential rogue ninja and bandits? "Someone will be going with you, right?" When Naruto didn't answer, but rather looked away, Hitomi repeated her earlier statement. "Right?"

"Hitomi," cautioned Inoichi, taking a hold of her hands. She lowered her face, but Naruto felt certain he could see tears falling from her eyes, and the sight of that hurt him far more keenly than he could have ever expected.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said, forcing himself not to run away. He hated this. He hated making his precious people feel sad, but he had a task to do. A task appointed to him specifically by the Sandaime Hokage. He knew that he would not betray the old man's trust.

"You won't...forget about me...will you, Naruto-san?" asked Ino, so quietly, so hesitantly. Her hands were tightly clenched at her sides and her entire body seemed to be shaking. Her eyes were shining as she pointedly looked at him, never allowing her gaze to wander.

Naruto felt his throat constrict painfully. _Is this what having a bond is like_?_ It's more painful but wonderful than I ever imagined_. He met her gaze solidly, though, not allowing himself a moment of not looking upon his precious people. He would use these moments to memorise every detail he could, so that when training became difficult and he felt as if he could no longer continue, he would be able to remember them, remember those precious in his heart, and carry on.

Ino continued to look at him expectantly, clearly waiting on his answer. He cleared his throat, trying to ignore the horrible tightness. "How could I forget you, Ino-san?" he said loudly, breaking the air of tension that had descended upon the room unnoticed. She visibly brightened at his confident declaration. "A Hokage never forgets about his precious people, and you are one of the most precious people of all." He grinned brightly.

Ino felt her face warming as she listened to Naruto. Her lips twitched upwards, ever so slowly, until a shy smile accompanied by brightened cheeks could be clearly seen. "Thank you, Naruto-san," she said gently, her smile becoming further pronounced. "I won't forget about you either. When you come back, I expect you to have lots of stories to tell me, understand?" She tried to sound stern, but her smile made it seem far less threatening.

Naruto, nevertheless, took her words at face value. "I will! I'll have lots of stories! Hey, we'll have to go for ramen, all four of us."

"Yes, we will," agreed Inoichi, who was now holding Hitomi in his arms. "When do you leave, Uzumaki-kun?"

"Tonight."

"I see," said Inoichi, helping Hitomi to a chair. Naruto watched as Inoichi walked to his side before the older man placed his hands on both of Naruto's shoulders. "You will always be welcome here, Uzumaki-kun. Never be afraid to come here if you ever need our help, a place to stay, or even just to talk about your problems."

Naruto felt himself tearing up at the kind words. It seemed ironic and cruel that he should finally find people who accepted him, only to willingly give them up to further his dream. He forced himself to smile. "I promise that when I come back, I'll be so much closer to becoming Hokage. Just you wait and see!"

Ino nodded in complete belief. "I know you will!" Naruto beamed at her.

"You have my complete support, Uzumaki-kun," said Inoichi seriously. Naruto gave a polite nod.

Hitomi rubbed her hands against her eyes. "How silly..." she mumbled, before she stood, crossed the few steps of distance there were between she and Naruto, and pulled him into the first hug of his life. "I believe in you completely, Naruto-kun. Just, please be careful, okay?"

Naruto's eyes began to sting, yet, somehow he managed to speak. "I promise, Hitomi-san." Hesitantly, he placed his own arms around her back before he gripped her as tightly as he could. Their shared comfort lasted a few seconds longer before Naruto relinquished his hold and stepped back. "I have to get ready," he said in a breathy whisper, grinning at each of them. "I guess this is goodbye."

"It isn't really goodbye, Naruto-san. It's more like a promise to meet again," said Ino succinctly.

"I'd like that," said Naruto fondly. He took one last look at all three of them, before steeling himself. "See you soon!" he cried as he ran out the door.

There was a sudden silence after Naruto's departure as the Yamanaka family came to terms with their feelings. Ino smiled as she thought of how Naruto would have changed by the time she saw him next. Inoichi was curious as to whether Naruto would be any closer to achieving his dream by the time he returned to the village. Hitomi was silently praying that Naruto would be safe. "See you soon, Naruto-kun."

xOxOx

"So, Naruto-kun, is everything settled?" asked Kakashi as Naruto approached the main gate leading from Konoha. "Did you say your goodbyes?"

Naruto nodded, not yet trusting himself to speak. The farewells had been far more emotionally draining than he'd imagined possible, and he felt weary.

"Alright, shall we be off?"

Naruto nodded again, but not before turning his head to look at the Hokage Monument. The four heads of the Hokage looked down imperiously upon the village they had sworn to protect. "One day, my face will be up there as well," he said strongly, causing Kakashi to smile.

"That day will be a long way off if you continue to dawdle like this, Naruto-kun. Let's get going. We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time in which to do it." That said, Kakashi waved a farewell to those he considered important in the village and turned his back on his home.

Naruto lingered a second longer before following Kakashi.

Unbeknownst to Naruto, but not Kakashi, they had been observed as they said their farewells to the village. Hitomi was standing atop a roof near the main entrance, one where she could see all, but not be seen by onlookers.

"Does it put your mind at ease, Hitomi?" Hitomi jumped as the gravelly voice sounded at her back. Whirling, she turned to face the leader of the village.

"Forgive me, Sandaime-sama," she said contritely, bowing her head to the old man.

"It's quite alright, Hitomi. In fact, it lightens my heart to know that you care for Naruto quite so deeply. He has been starved of affection for such a long time. Perhaps it was fated for you to be called to help Naruto that night," he mused out loud.

"Sandaime-sama?"

"...Nevermind. I must ask, Hitomi, that both you and your family keep word of Naruto's trip to yourselves. It would not do for potential spies to learn of his leaving the village."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," bowed Hitomi as the Hokage took his leave. Hitomi stared at the main gate, watching the speck that was Naruto disappearing into the darkness surrounding the village. "Stay safe, Naruto-kun."


	3. Reunion

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter III – Reunion

"I hope you enjoy your flowers," said Yamanaka Ino pleasantly as she handed over the radiant bouquet to a regular customer.

"Thank you, Ino," replied the man with deep black spiky hair and a full, but neatly trimmed beard. "So, looking forward to later?"

"Uh-huh," chimed Ino, wiping the counter clean with a damp cloth. "It's the day I've been working towards for the past three years."

The man chuckled, a deep rumbling sound coming from far down in his throat. "Well, I'm certain you'll do well."

"Of course I will!" said Ino, affronted. "I've trained really hard for today. I won't let anybody down."

The man gave another chuckle at her expression. "Well, give it your best, Ino. Nobody can say you let them down if you do that." She responded with a fierce nod, followed by an easy grin. "See you." He waved his hand airily in farewell, turning to walk out of the shop.

"Bye, Asuma-sensei," she said, waving in kind.

Asuma opened the door, bundling into another person trying to enter. "Oh, excuse me," said Asuma quickly, offering a hand to the young man he had collided with, not really paying attention. "My fault."

"Not a problem," shrugged the other, easily taking the proffered hand with a beaming grin.

_Now_ Asuma was paying attention. His eyes widened as he took in the young man's appearance; a young man he had not seen for two years. He smiled deeply. "So, you're back," he said, giving the young man a tug to his feet.

His eyes were twinkling. "I am."

Ino wondered what was taking Asuma so long to leave. She had heard his mumbled apology, followed by him bending down to offer the other party a helping hand. Now, he was just standing in the doorway, talking to this other person. "Is everything alright, Asuma-sen...sei...?" Her question became broken and fragmented as she heard _his_ voice; a voice she had not heard for almost a year; the voice belonging to someone close to her heart.

She raced around the counter, sped across the shop-floor, and barged past Asuma. "Oi, Ino," muttered Asuma distractedly, although he supposed he couldn't really blame her for her reaction. He had seen first hand just how much she thought of the young man in front of him, and that was two years ago. How much more would her feelings have grown for him after another couple years of separation?

Ino was breathless. Here before her was the person she had been so anxious to see once again. She looked forward to his visits more than she could put into words, and despite the fact that they could only see one another for a handful of days a year, he was important to her. Her eyes eagerly took in every detail. The long, spiky blonde locks that had grown longer since the last time she had seen him; the piercing oceanic eyes which were looking at her just as eagerly, just like always; the wide, beaming grin that could only belong to him. "Ino," he said softly, before yelping as she launched herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his back as tightly as she could. His balance compromised, he enveloped her just as thoroughly as they fell backwards, resulting in a dull thud as his back collided with the floor.

He winced a little as he felt the pain rumble through his nerves. "Ouch," he muttered, before feeling Ino shaking in his arms. He glanced down at her. She had her head buried against his chest but she was unmistakably quivering. "Naruto," she managed to choke out, her voice warbling as hot tears fell from her seaglass eyes.

Naruto struggled to not break down as well. He truly missed her every time he left to travel with Kakashi. Their few days together each year weren't nearly enough for him, and he hoped that it was the same for her. Of course, judging by her reaction each time they finally got to see one another again, it was a good possibility. "Hey, Ino?" he said gently. "Let me see you, please?" He waited for her to show him her face, tears and all. "No need to cry, remember?" he smiled warmly, running a thumb along the trails running down her cheeks.

"I'm allowed to cry happy tears!" she hiccuped.

"Yes, you are," agreed Naruto, his voice as soft as he could make it before he pulled her into his arms once more. Leaning his head atop hers, he whispered, "I really missed you." Ino didn't respond verbally; her crushing hug gave him all he response he would need.

They stayed together for a span, simply enjoying the fact that they could be near one another. Eventually, all good things must inevitably come to an end, and the two peeled away from each other, beaming grins thoroughly in place.

Asuma had watched the two and their emphatic greetings with an easy smile. After all of the hardships he knew of Naruto having to endure, it was good that he had finally found a good friend. "Hey, Ino," he said suddenly, reminding the two that he was still there. "Don't get overexcited and end up losing track of time."

"I won't, Asuma-sensei," trilled Ino, more happy than she had been in recent memory.

"Okay, well enjoy yourselves. Welcome back, Naruto," he said with an easy wave of farewell.

"Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei," said Naruto.

"Bye, Asuma-sensei," chimed Ino, waving at the older man's back. Once the door to the shop closed, Ino whirled on Naruto. "I can't believe you're really here," she said in awe.

"I'm really here, Ino, honest," said Naruto innocently with a wide smile; one which Ino couldn't help but replicate. "Are they here?"

"You're in luck," she smiled. "They haven't left yet."

"I guess it's time I said hello, then," said Naruto seriously, though his eyes were shining.

"I think so, too," nodded Ino, walking after the blonde-haired boy, never taking her eyes off him.

xOxOx

Hitomi was preparing lunch for the entire family. Today was a very important day for her daughter, and whether or not she succeeded – though there was really no chance her Ino-chan could fail – Hitomi was going to make sure that Ino knew how much both she and Inoichi loved her, and how very proud of her they were.

She heard the shuffling of feet coming from the back of the house. "Inoichi, dear, could you pass me the peppers, please?" With quiet steps, the peppers were placed on the tabletop next to her. "Thank you," she said before noticing something seemed odd. "You're awfully quiet this morning. Did you not sleep very well?" she asked concernedly.

"...Hitomi-san..."

The recently retrieved peppers fell from Hitomi's grasp as her heart raced at the mere memory of his voice. Slowly, unbelievingly, she turned to face him. Her eyes widened and immediately tears filled her gaze. "...Naruto...kun...?" He simply stood still, a steady smile on his face, his gaze never wavering from hers. Her fingers shakingly moved to his face. With agonizing deliberateness, she gently touched the whisker marks on his cheeks. "You're...really...here...?" His smile expanding a little was her answer. "Naruto-kun!" she cried as she bundled him into her arms and squeezed for all she was worth. The tears, which had slowly trickled at first, now fell with a flourish.

Naruto hugged her back just as fiercely. True, Ino was one of the most important people in his life, and he was overjoyed to see her; however, Hitomi was the first to show him kindness, and for that, she was permanently cemented as his first precious person. "Hitomi-san, I missed you so much," he whispered, feeling tears rising to the surface.

"It's alright now, Naruto-kun," she breathed, feeling just how deeply those feelings ran by the sheer force he exerted on his hug. "You're home."

Naruto smiled deeply as he allowed the happy tears to fall. Home. He truly liked the sound of it.

Hitomi stepped back to look at him, her eyes still swimming. "Inoichi! Come quickly!" she shouted, wanting her husband to see their long-awaited guest. They waited for a short while; Hitomi couldn't take her eyes away from Naruto. She seemed to be analysing every change in him, while Ino could barely manage to stay still – so great was her excitement.

"What's all the commotion?" questioned Inoichi as he stepped into the room. He spotted the blonde-haired boy and his lips tilted upwards. "So, you're back, Uzumaki? It's been quite some time," he said as he extended a hand to the boy.

Naruto took it and shook fiercely. "It has, Yamanaka-san," he agreed easily, gifting the man with one of his true smiles. "Too long."

"When did you return to the village?"

"This morning, actually," supplied Naruto, taking a step back so all three could see him easily.

"How long will you be here for, Naruto?" asked Ino timidly. She always hated hearing about how short their time together would be. Usually, it amounted to perhaps four days at most, during which time the Hokage would demand his presence for at least one of those said days, so Ino would only get to enjoy three days at most with him. Each year.

Naruto smirked. "Trying to get rid of me so fast, Ino? I don't know if I should be offended or not," he replied nonchalantly.

"You know why!" she all but shouted. She didn't appreciate having her well-meant words being twisted, whether it was meant in jest or not.

Naruto was immediately contrite. "Sorry, Ino," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He rebounded quickly. "Well, about that, it seems as though I might be able to stay a little longer this time."

Ino's curiosity was piqued. "How much longer?" she asked, daring to hope she might get to spend some more time with her friend.

Naruto beamed. "A _lot_ longer. Basically, as long as I graduate from the Academy, I can stay for good this time."

Ino's mouth widened in surprise as a flare of sheer joy shot through her. She didn't dare try to say anything though. More than likely, given how happy she was now feeling, she may have ended up squealing and that wasn't a sound she was aiming to create.

"And you will, Naruto-kun," said Hitomi strongly, giving in to her impulse to hug the young man before her again.

"He isn't going to disappear, Hitomi," said Inoichi sternly, though his smiling face gave his true feelings away. Hitomi turned her face to mock glare at Inoichi. "So, when do you join the Academy, Uzumaki?" asked Inoichi, hastily passing the attention away from himself.

"According to Kakashi-sensei, I'll be taking the graduation exam today. He said that I should go with Ino," explained Naruto as he disengaged himself from Hitomi's grasp.

Ino could hardly believe her ears. After dreaming of what it would be like to be able to see her friend more often for such a long time, in the span of a couple of minutes, his news had basically made that dream a reality. Now, not only would Naruto be staying in the village permanently – because realistically, there was next to no chance he could actually _fail_ to graduate – if she was really fortunate, they might end up on the same genin team. She couldn't help the little squeak of happiness that managed to escape her lips before she clamped them tightly shut, her cheeks a rosy pink.

Hitomi had a similar reaction, though she was able to contain herself better. She was sincerely hoping that they would be put on the same team. Not only would they be able to spend more time together, but they already had the foundations of a solid team from their friendship. Of course, first they would both need to graduate, but she had every confidence in the both of them.

Oblivious to the thoughts of both his wife and his daughter, Inoichi nodded in understanding to Naruto's words. "I guess you'll have more time to tell us your stories now."

"Don't worry, Yamanaka-san," assured Naruto. "I have a whole bunch of new things to tell you all." Naruto stretched suddenly, making a satisfied groan as he felt his muscles tense and relax. "But first," and here he pointed first at Ino and then slammed his thumb against his chest, "Ino and I have somewhere we need to be."

"We do?" asked Ino, confusion clearly visible on her face by the outline of her lips and the narrowing of her eyes.

"Of course we do!" exclaimed Naruto brightly. "Did you forget? Time to become shinobi of Konoha!" he declared, his infectious grin firmly in place.

Ino seemed dazed for a handful of seconds before a soft smile formed. "It's time for you to finally come home for good," she said with emotion.

Naruto's shy smile made Ino's cheeks warm. "That as well." Turning away from a flushed Ino, Naruto beamed at both Hitomi and Inoichi. "Hitomi-san; Yamanaka-san. I'll be taking Ino with me."

Ino pouted, her happy bubble suddenly burst. She didn't appreciate being made out as a possession to be dragged along, and she was going to let Naruto know about it. "Naruto?" she said sweetly.

Naruto turned to face her, surprised by the angelic quality to her voice. As he looked at her serenely smiling face, for some inexplicable reason, the hairs on the back of his neck stood to attention and he suddenly felt afraid. "Ino? Ouch!" he yelped as Ino slapped the back of his head. Naruto winced as he felt the blow. "Ino," he pouted, extending her name as he rubbed the smarting flesh. "What was that for?"

Ino grinned devilishly. "Just making sure you get the message, Naruto," she said calmly.

"What message?" He was drawing blanks.

"That I won't be dragged along by anybody," she huffed before relenting. It was his first day back; she didn't want to make it a day he'd rather forget. "We'll go together," she said, her righteous anger fading to an embarrassed blush.

Naruto blinked twice rapidly, confused. "Okay," he said cautiously. An approving nod from Ino let him know he had spoken wisely.

Hitomi and Inoichi had watched these exchanges with amused expressions. It was clear to them that Naruto still had a lot to learn, while Ino was as feisty as ever. "Ino-chan?" said Hitomi, drawing the attention of the two. "Don't you and Naruto-kun need to be somewhere?" she suggested succinctly with a not-so-subtle nod towards the clock.

Ino took the hint. "Come on, Naruto! We need to get moving."

Naruto grinned. "Right. We'll see you later, Hitomi-san; Yamanaka-san. The next time you see us, we'll be genin." Ino's fierce nod of agreement brought shared expressions of pride to the faces of the adults.

"We know you will," nodded Inoichi, taking Hitomi's hand in his own.

She smiled briefly at her husband before squeezing their joined hands. "Go!" she smiled as the two stagnated.

With a brief nod and grins all round, Naruto and Ino left the Yamanaka household. Their destination: the Academy. Their goal: to showcase their dedication and prove themselves worthy of the title of genin shinobi of Konohagakure.


	4. Graduation

**The Sharpest Edge 4**

Chapter IV – Graduation

Ino and Naruto stood before the main entrance to the prestigious ninja Academy. Every shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves that came before them had graduated from this place. It was almost sacred; somewhere that you could hear the echoes of those long gone.

Ino had expected to feel nervous – it was a given, whether you had prepared thoroughly or not, and she had more than prepared; hours upon days were spent perfecting her skills, honing her body and mind, all in preparation for today – yet the only emotion she felt was calmness. Today was the beginning; today was the start. Once this day was done, both she and Naruto would be genin. Naruto would be one step closer to achieving his ultimate goal, his dream, while she would be another step closer to achieving her own dream.

"Nervous, Ino?" asked Naruto after a short span of time. She set her eyes upon him and shook her head lightly.

"No, I'm okay," she said, completely relaxed. "How about you?"

"Me? No, never," he declared strongly, feeling supremely confident. For the past four years, he had enjoyed one-on-one training with Hatake Kakashi, première jonin of Konoha. He didn't want to seem arrogant, but he was better prepared than anybody in this class; of that, he was certain. "You'll do great, Ino," he said suddenly, drawing a short smile.

"Thanks, Naruto," she said. "Shall we get going?"

Naruto shook his head. "You go ahead." Seeing her blank expression, he continued. "I have to see Kakashi-sensei before the exam starts," he explained. "He wanted to give some last minute advice, or something. Don't worry, Ino," he reassured, noticing the frown beginning to form. "I'll definitely be there. I promise."

Ino had been feeling nervousness begin to form, making her stomach churn hurtfully as the unbidden thought of him disappearing again, this time for good, sprouted in her mind, but as soon as she saw his beaming grin, those feelings disappeared. "I'll hold you to that," she said lightly. "Now, get going!"

Naruto nodded, gave her a fleeting smile, then he leapt onto the nearest rooftop. Ino watched him speed away before sighing softly. "He's gone again," she said to herself quietly, so as not to be heard.

xOxOx

As Ino stepped into the classroom, the majority of heads in the room turned to face her. Realising she wasn't the person they were waiting for, they turned back, quietly discussing their thoughts on what would be expected of them.

Honestly, she was wondering that herself. Her father had remained tight-lipped when she had asked for a hint, stating that as a shinobi, she could hardly expect to know things in advance; it would therefore be good practice for her to go into the exam blind. Although she had pouted at the time, she realised the truth of his words.

She glanced around the room; in the corner sat Hinata, quiet and shy, keeping herself as small and unnoticeable as possible; Kiba, with his pup Akamaru, boisterously declaring that the exam was in the bag; Shikamaru, his forehead flat against the desktop, probably lost to slumber; Chōji, nervously munching on a bag of crisps, occasionally glancing at Shikamaru, probably wishing he was awake to keep him calm.

And, of course, sat on his own, head supported by steepled hands was Uchiha Sasuke. He blankly stared ahead, silent and brooding. Looking around herself, Ino saw several of her female classmates giving the lone boy longing glances, but none of them had the courage to actually speak to him, other than to utter his name as he walked past them, cheer as he demolished his opponents and squeal when he was inevitably victorious.

The reason for this was simple: Uchiha Sasuke was the top ranked shinobi of their class. Ranking first in both written and practical tests, he was basically unassailable. Nobody in their class had ever bested him. To her knowledge, only one person had ever proven himself superior. _I wonder who would win now..._

She was drawn out of her internal pondering by the dark eyes of Sasuke looking directly at her. Ino raised her eyebrows at his staring, even as she felt the cold stares coming from her female classmates. She whirled her head around briskly, looking at each of them, silently daring them to meet her eyes. Predictably, nobody seemed up to the challenge; each one of them lowered their gaze, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

Inwardly shrugging, she walked to the desk Sasuke was sat at. "Morning, Sasuke," she said brightly, taking a seat next to him.

"Ino," he drawled, his mouth a straight line.

Ino accepted his saying her name as his way of greeting her without question. She was used to his manner of speaking. He was very much about conversations getting to the point as quickly and efficiently as possible. "So, Sasuke, are you ready for today?" she asked, genuinely interested.

Sasuke seemed to consider his words. "If I am not ready for this, what chance will I have to achieve my ambition?" It was a rhetorical question, but one that was heavily loaded. When Ino didn't answer, Sasuke shrugged.

Ino didn't know what to say to him. He refused to tell her what his ambition was, even if she had a good idea of what it may be. The fate of the Uchiha Clan was well-known. The perpetrator of the assault was unknown, at least to her. It seemed, to her mind, though, that Sasuke was well aware of that person's identity. She had a horrible feeling in her gut that told her his ambition would be to seek the death of that person.

It wasn't that she didn't want him to have closure over that traumatic event. It was simply that if that person was strong enough to kill every other member of the Uchiha Clan in a single night, what chance would a lone Uchiha stand? Let alone one so young and inexperienced as Sasuke? She didn't want him to die, just for the slightest chance of him getting the vengeance he so clearly desired.

"Sasuke-kun!" came the cry from a pink-haired girl who had just marched into the class. She looked around the room, clearly searching for him. When she spotted Ino, she frowned. That frown became further pronounced when she saw who Ino was sat next to.

"Ino-pig!" shouted the girl, rushing over to the two of them. "What do you think you're doing sitting next to Sasuke-kun?!"

"Good morning to you, too, Sakura," muttered Ino, turning to face her childhood friend, turned bitter rival, turned friend again. "So tell me, Forehead," she mockingly glared, "where does it say that I can't sit next to him?"

Sakura smirked. "Did you not know? Move aside and I'll show you."

Ino was wise to what her friend was trying to do, but chose to feign ignorance. With a soft nod, she got up, moved out of the pink-haired girl's way and waited. Smiling gleefully, Sakura moved into Ino's vacated spot. "Possession is nine-tenths of the law," she laughed, getting comfortable next to Sasuke, before turning back to Ino, blowing a raspberry.

Ino put on a faked look of true hurt. "I can't believe you'd trick me like that," she sniffled, allowing her eyes to dampen.

Sakura looked at Ino's watering eyes, kept up her façade of indifference for a few more seconds, then finally relented. "I give up!" she said, pointing her finger at Ino. "You've clearly been practising that pathetic look you were using."

Ino grinned. "Deception is a staple took for shinobi, Sakura," she replied, wiping her eyes clear of any watery residue. "Anyway, if you want to sit next to Sasuke, I don't mind."

"Thank you so much, Ino!" she beamed.

"No problem, Sakura," smiled Ino, while Sasuke could be heard muttering about annoying girls.

Sakura turned her attention from Sasuke long enough to ask a question. "Ino?" she said, drawing her friend's attention. "Have you heard from him? It would be about that time of the year, right?" Sasuke perked up at that question.

Ino's smile grew into a full-blown grin. "Well, it's funny you should ask about him, because..."

She didn't get to finish as their chūnin instructor stepped into the room, accompanied by another. "Good morning, class. Everybody take your places." He waited for the inevitable shuffling of bodies before continuing. "Are you all ready?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," chorused the class.

"Excellent. Well, this is Mizuki-sensei," introduced Iruka, waving his hand towards the white-haired man. Mizuki looked around the class, smiling lightly. "He will be helping me in determining those who will graduate. Now, before we begin, we have a guest joining this class for today."

"A guest...?" rang around the room from a few curious souls, while Ino had to fight down her grin.

"If you would enter, please?" said Iruka, drawing all eyes to the arrival of a blonde-haired boy with a beaming grin set in place. Sakura gasped aloud, while a light of recognition lit in Sasuke's onyx eyes. Several of Sasuke's admirers also gasped aloud at the sight of the mysterious newcomer.

"Who is that?" asked one of the boys.

"Who cares?" retorted one of the girls.

"He's cute," breathed another.

Several nodded their agreement furiously.

Iruka noticed all of these reactions, but chose to ignore them. "Introduce yourself, please."

Striding confidently to the head of the room, he smiled broadly. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Let's all pass this test together!" His eyes roved the room, looking at each person separately for a short time before moving to another. Some couldn't maintain his gaze for long, while others held pink tinges to their cheeks. As he met Sakura's eyes, she smiled briefly, to which he nodded. Once he locked eyes with Sasuke, an unspoken challenge was issued. Naruto had to suppress the urge to grin in excited anticipation. Finally, he looked at Ino, giving her the longest connection by far. The two, standing and sitting respectively, grinned at each other until Iruka broke through the silence.

"Well, Naruto, if you'd like to take a seat?" He gestured to the row above Sakura and Sasuke, where Ino and a boy with black hair tied back in a short, spiky ponytail were sat.

Shrugging indifferently – though inside he was thrilled – he trudged up the steps, slid onto the bench besides her and smiled. "Together again," he said brightly.

"Just like old times," she agreed.

"So, as I was saying," began Iruka, getting the focus of his students, "today is the day of your graduation examination. After today, I hope each of you will be genin. All I ask of each of you is that you give it your all and show exactly what you can do. Now, when your name is called, come into the exam room. Good luck, everybody."

With that said, Iruka and Mizuki stepped from the classroom. They walked in silence for a few moments, Iruka deep in thought. "What is it, Iruka?" asked Mizuki.

"I knew we would be getting a new potential candidate for genin today, Mizuki," he responded slowly, milling his words over in his mind carefully. "I didn't realise it would be him."

"The jinchūriki," nodded Mizuki.

Iruka frowned. "You know the laws, Mizuki," he said quietly, so as to not draw attention.

Mizuki shrugged but made no further comments. Iruka returned to his reflections.

Upon entering the examination room, the two long-time friends sat at the head desk together. Iruka shuffled the papers on his students. "Do you blame him?"

The question was so unexpected, Iruka wasn't completely certain he had heard Mizuki correctly. "Could you repeat that?"

"I said, do you blame him?" repeated Mizuki. "Do you blame Uzumaki Naruto for the death of your parents?"

Iruka breathed through his nose as he tried to forget the memories that question dredged up. The smell of burning flesh, the blood-soaked ground, the wails of the living and dying, and the grief-stricken cries of those who were left behind. He struggled to rein in his errant emotions. "Iruka?"

"...No...no, I don't," said Iruka finally. "He didn't choose to be made into the vessel for that...monster. Why should I blame him for something he had no control over? If anything, he should hate me."

"Hate you? Why?" Mizuki was confused.

"Well, not me specifically. I meant the village as a whole. I heard the rumours, Mizuki. The rumours of the attacks on Naruto when he was younger," clarified Iruka, answering Mizuki's confused frown. "If even half of them are true, his life has been appalling. If I were in his situation, I don't want to imagine just how angry I would feel." His voice trailed off as he had a sudden thought. "Why do you think he has never been in this class before now?"

Mizuki understood what he meant immediately. "Hokage-sama must have kept him safe somewhere."

"Safe, yes, I'd agree, but I don't think that is necessarily the end of it."

"What do you mean, Iruka?"

"We'll find out during his test," was all Iruka would say. He wanted to keep his suspicions to himself for the present. Time would tell how close to the mark he was. He cleared his throat before calling out clearly. "Aburame, Shino. Report to the examination room."

xOxOx

"Hey, Chōji! Come and join us!" shouted Ino to her friend as the stoic Aburame left the classroom. Looking around himself, he smiled for her benefit as he dutifully got up from his desk and approached the group.

"Thank you, Ino," he said gratefully, taking a seat next to Naruto. "I'm Akimichi Chōji. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto. Pleased to meet you, as well," grinned Naruto.

"So, how do you know Ino?" he asked, getting comfortable.

"I was having a rough time a few years ago," began Naruto cautiously, being very particular about his choice of words. He didn't want to lie, but he also didn't want these people to pity him. "Ino and her family took me in and gave me the help I needed. I owe them so much." He smiled earnestly at the teal-eyed girl sitting next to him.

Chōji nodded his acceptance of the words. "That's Ino for you. She's always looking out for others."

Naruto nodded. "Yes, she is," he said softly.

Ino's cheeks warmed as she enjoyed the compliment he gave her. "It was nothing," she said, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

"Nothing?" repeated Naruto, shaking his head in disbelief. "You all saved me, Ino," he said with certainty ringing in his voice.

Ino's flush only became more pronounced. Sakura decided to save her friend from any unnecessary questions before they had the opportunity to arise. "So, when did you get back, Naruto?" she asked, bouncing in her seat.

"This morning," replied Naruto, turning away from a pink-cheeked Ino to face the pink-haired girl, a lazy grin on his face.

"Why didn't you come say hello?" asked Sakura, hurt bleeding into her voice.

"Sorry, Sakura," said Naruto sheepishly. "If I'd have had more time, you would definitely have been next."

Sakura's expression quickly cleared to one of mischief. "Oh, but you had time to see Ino? I think someone is playing favourites, wouldn't you agree, Sasuke-kun?"

Normally, Sasuke would grunt and turn away, but in this case, he was willing to make a slight exception. "It does seem that way, Sakura," he managed, leaving half of the group shocked. Never before had they heard the lone Uchiha utter so many words in so short a time. Sasuke noticed their apparent amazement, but shrugged off their annoying looks of surprise.

Sakura was beside herself with giddiness. Not only did her crush respond to her joking jab at Ino with a relatively well-timed agreement, he also called her by her first name. He knew her name! Clearly, this day was going from good to better. Sakura couldn't wait to see just how much better it could possibly get.

Naruto shrugged at their implied accusations. "You're all just jealous because I like Ino more than you."

"Akimichi, Chōji. Report to the examination room," came the call from the corridor suddenly, breaking off any and all possible comebacks from Naruto's words.

"They aren't messing around with this exam, are they?" mused Naruto from his seat.

"Good luck, Chōji!" cheered Ino as the big-boned Akimichi Clan heir stood, his entire frame rigid. Surprised, the boy turned to face the Yamanaka heiress. "You can do it! Just have more faith in yourself!" With a suddenly renewed determination, the boy nodded fiercely before leaving the room.

"That was really nice of you, Ino," said Naruto quietly. "I could see how worried he was about it from here."

Ino shrugged. "It was nothing, really. I don't want any of my friends failing."

Naruto nodded in approval. "Looking out for your friends is the first thing a team leader will look for in their potential recruits. Keep that in mind."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Are you giving me tips?"

"Just some advice," countered Naruto. "It may well end up saving your life someday."

"He's right, Ino," said the boy who had been sound asleep for the majority of the time they had been there. He looked around at the gathered listeners, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"I know he is, Shikamaru!" she said, clearly annoyed. "Who told you to interrupt our conversation anyway?"

Shikamaru blinked a couple of times before yawning widely. "Troublesome." He uttered the word as though it were the greatest of curses. "Next time, I won't bother saying a word."

Ino took a few seconds to breathe deeply. "Sorry, Shikamaru," she said earnestly. He lazily raised an eyebrow before shrugging in a similar fashion.

"Fight me, Naruto," declared Sasuke suddenly, his eyes alight with determination.

"Are you sure you want to?" smirked Naruto. "If I remember correctly, last time we fought, you came off a little worse for wear."

"That was a lucky blow, and you know it," argued the Uchiha.

"Well, that _lucky_ blow nearly broke your arm," scoffed Naruto, feigning superiority. "I wouldn't want to be responsible for seriously hurting you."

While it seemed as though he didn't want to lower himself to fight Sasuke, in actuality he was super psyched. Sasuke would be an able sparring partner; somebody he would be able to test his strength against. Sasuke would also be able to test his own growth during their battle, making it a win-win situation for them both. He wouldn't fight Sasuke, however, unless the Uchiha was serious, so he had to test Sasuke's resolve.

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you," retorted Sasuke, staring Naruto down, onyx black challenging sapphire blue. "I must become stronger. To do that, I must fight against strong opponents."

There was the fire Naruto was looking for. "Name the time and place, Sasuke. I'll be there."

Sasuke smirked victoriously. Sakura and Ino shared a look that clearly spoke volumes. Shikamaru yawned.

xOxOx

Finally, it was Naruto's turn. Sakura and Shikamaru had already gone, with Sasuke having left for his own exam not three minutes earlier. Naruto felt as though everything was proceeding far too quickly, but perhaps everybody was just exceptionally well-trained. If Kakashi was anything to go by, the instructors of the Village Hidden in the Leaves were dedicated, professional, and above all else, demanded nothing less than a person's absolute best.

With Ino's encouragement ringing in his ears, Naruto went to face his fate.

As he stepped into the room, he saw Mizuki and Iruka sat at the long table, papers in front of them, while a stack of pristine Konoha hitai-ate rested on the adjoining desk. "Ah, Naruto," said Iruka cordially. "This is the graduation exam to see whether you are worthy of becoming a genin of Konohagakure. Do you understand?"

Naruto nodded his understanding.

"Okay, then."

Naruto began to run through possible test scenarios in his mind while he waited to discover what would be expected of him. _I wonder what they'll want me to do. Shuriken accuracy? No, it couldn't be. Anybody with a couple weeks of practice could hit the target the majority of the time. A taijutsu spar against a chūnin or higher ranked shinobi, perhaps...no, that would be way too obvious. They'd never pick such a predictable challenge. Maybe something to do with my wind chakra...I really hope it's that. I can show how much I've improved since Sarutobi-sensei's lessons..._

"Naruto, I'd like you to perform the _Bunshin no Jutsu_. Create three clones of yourself, please."

Naruto was completely sidelined. He glanced in confusion at Iruka. "...Could you repeat that, please? I don't think I heard you quite right the first time."

Iruka seemed put out but chose not to remark upon it. "I asked you to perform the clone technique to a satisfactory level, Naruto," he repeated.

"That was what I thought you said," remarked Naruto blankly.

"Is everything alright, Naruto?" asked Iruka curiously.

"If I perform the _Bunshin no Jutsu_ to your satisfaction, you will make me a genin, just like that?" Iruka wasn't sure what was going on, but nodded his head in the affirmative nonetheless. Naruto looked down and his whole body began to shake.

"Naruto...?"

"You cannot be serious?!" shouted Naruto, rising to his full height. "A clone technique? That's it? This is the great graduation exam of Konoha? You've got to be joking...you must be! Mizuki, please tell me he's joking," he demanded, whirling to face the white-haired teacher.

"He isn't joking," replied Mizuki after a brief pause.

"What is wrong with you two?!" roared Naruto, drawing twin looks of anger from the chūnin instructors. "You're going to allow them to become genin – ninja who will be asked to go on missions where their lives, and the lives of their teammates and clients will be put on the line – just because they know how to make a simple clone?!" Naruto was incredulous. His rage at discovering such a fatalistic flaw in Konoha's shinobi system was bringing out a side of him he didn't like. "What in the hell will a clone do to stop them from being blown away by a water dragon? What will a clone do to save them from a volley of shuriken?" He leaned in closer, and his voice was deathly soft, and this sudden quiet unnerved the two Academy instructors far more than his indignant anger. "What will a clone do to save them from the world?"

The two were shaken – Iruka especially. He knew that it was risky passing young people simply because they could perform one jutsu – and it was a particularly simple one – to a good standard, but he followed the set guidelines; guidelines that had been written by the Shodaime Hokage himself. Who was he to question the will of one of the founders of Konoha?

Naruto was seething. His only experience of Konoha shinobi up until this point had been Kakashi, and the man was damned good at what he did. His battle prowess was near second to none and his skill was unquestionable. Naruto was expecting all Konoha ninja to be up to a similar standard; maybe not as good as Kakashi, but certainly better than this!

A sudden thought struck him and it made his anger peak. "Ino is after me. Will you allow her to graduate if she can perform the _Bunshin no Jutsu_ correctly?" He looked between the two of them, seeing the warning glances they sent to one another.

"...Naruto...I..."

"Will you pass Yamanaka Ino if she can use one simple technique that will be basically useless in a real world scenario?"

"...Yes," said Iruka finally.

"...I see..." Naruto palmed his hands together and said quietly, "_Bunshin no Jutsu_." Five perfect replicas of Naruto were created, accompanied by a small mist cloud. All of them shared the same thunderous expression. The real Naruto walked up to each one and ran a hand through them. "How is this supposed to help them to stay alive, huh? I mean, it's not as if an enemy would need to possess a dōjutsu like the Sharingan or anything; anybody can tell! They don't even have shadows!"

"Naruto, that's enough!" shouted Iruka, rising to his feet. "You've said enough." He was truly troubled.

"I see you realise what I'm talking about, Iruka," said Naruto softly, his voice regaining its usual warmth. "When Ino comes in here, give her a chance to prove herself. She's worked so hard for today. Asking her to make a handful of clones...it would mock all of the sacrifices she's made."

Iruka thought about what he said for a moment before nodding. Naruto smiled at the scarred chūnin before leaving the way he came.

"Wait, Naruto! You haven't collected your...well, he's gone, Iruka," said Mizuki cautiously, the hitai-ate still clutched in his hands, before he looked to his friend and saw the troubled frown, the slumped shoulders and the general demeanour of one who was suddenly completely defeated. "Iruka?"

"...Have we failed them all, Mizuki?" asked Iruka, his voice quivering perilously, falling into the chair at his back.

Mizuki had no answer.

"I have to see the Hokage," he declared suddenly, drawing Mizuki's attention.

"What is it, Iruka?"

"I'm going to help them to be the best shinobi they can be."

xOxOx

Ino walked the classroom, getting steadily more concerned. So far, each exam took between three and ten minutes roughly. That was until Naruto was summoned. Forty-five minutes had passed, and still she was there, gauging a rut into the floor with her incessant pacing. "What's happening?" she whispered to herself.

A handful of minutes into Naruto's exam, she could have sworn she heard his loud voice booming from the exam room, although she couldn't make out exactly what was being said. She knew that it didn't bode well, though, when time kept slipping by and there was no sign of anybody.

A sudden shuffling at the door alerted her to another's presence. "Naruto!" she cried, rushing over to him. She stopped short when she saw the pained expression. "What is it, Naruto? You didn't...I mean, you _couldn't_ have...failed...?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "No," he said, causing her to sigh in relief. "No, I didn't fail."

"Well, what is it, then? Why did it take so long?"

"About that," began Naruto, suddenly sheepish. "I may have snapped at Iruka and Mizuki."

"You snapped at them? Why?"

Naruto breathed deeply before continuing. "The exam was a joke, Ino. Do you know what they asked me to do in there?" She shook her head. "A clone."

"Clone? You mean _Bunshin no Jutsu_?"

"That's it," agreed Naruto.

"But, isn't that technique only useful in very certain situations?" Her father had told her all about the importance of the correct technique for the correct situation. The clone technique, while serviceable, was one of the weakest of ninja arts, and one that was not widely used. "How would that prove we are capable shinobi?"

"My point exactly," beamed Naruto, pleased that she understood his point of view. "If it were something more useful in the long term, like transformations or substitutions, I wouldn't have said anything."

Ino thought it over in her head. Her father hadn't mentioned anything like this to her before, although she suspected that he didn't want her to have a potential head-start over her peers. "So, where does that leave me?"

Naruto scratched the back of his neck. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I had a look around before coming here; Iruka and Mizuki were gone."

No sooner did the blonde-haired boy mention their names, the two aforementioned instructors appeared at the doorway. "Ah, Naruto. Good, you're here," said Iruka, walking over to the two friends.

"Iruka-sensei, what's going on?" asked Ino.

"After our..._discussion_ with Naruto, Iruka-sensei agreed that the examination was not a fair reflection of what will be expected of our shinobi in the real world. After a short conversation with the Hokage, it was agreed that everybody will have to retake the genin exam tomorrow."

Naruto and Ino shared looks of disbelief. "Everybody? You mean, everyone who has already graduated is now not a genin anymore?"

"That's right," said Iruka gravely. "Those who have already passed will have to retake the exam. I imagine none of them will be too pleased about it," he said with a smirk in Naruto's direction. "Tomorrow, the _true_ genin graduation exam will commence."


	5. Hidden Truth

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter V – Hidden Truth

"There, all better," smiled Hitomi, sprinkling the maiden lilies in her flower shop. Business had been slow but steady, allowing her the time necessary to properly maintain her stock. Aside from that, it also gave her something to take her mind off of worrying about Ino and Naruto.

She knew she was being silly, but she couldn't help it. "I didn't realise just how worrisome this whole experience could be," she said to herself, moving the watering can to a brace of egret orchids. Whistling softly to herself as she worked, she failed to notice the faint cry from outside. She began to move from one side of the shop to the other. Her poppies were in dire need of attention, the poor things.

The store bell rang loudly as it was forced inwards, and a shout of "Hitomi-san!" drew her attention to them. Naruto and Ino stood in the doorway, both looking a little out of breath. The watering was instantly put aside for later. She put the watering can by her poppies and turned to the young ninja.

"So, how did the exam go?" she asked breathlessly, her anticipation palpable, as they approached her. That feeling only grew as she noticed the looks on their faces. They bore similar expressions of excitement, though Naruto held an amount of fierce pride. "Did you pass? Of course you did. I mean, there was just no way either of you couldn't..." Hitomi was beside herself with pride in them both.

"Hitomi-san," said Naruto softly, cutting off Hitomi and her praising words. She looked to Naruto, confusion quickly becoming apparent. "The exam...has been cancelled."

"Cancelled?" repeated Hitomi, not quite understanding. The genin examinations were ingrained into Konoha. They were a tradition, one which had continued for many, many years. "They cancelled the exams?"

"Well, perhaps cancelled isn't the best word to use," conceded Naruto, shuffling his weight from one foot to the other. "Perhaps postponed would be better." He scratched his neck unconsciously.

"...Help me out, please, Ino-chan?" Hitomi was thoroughly baffled.

Ino sighed at Naruto's failed explanation. "What Naruto means to say is that he and our instructors got into a...heated debate."

Hitomi turned to face the boy. "What happened, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto sucked in a deep breath before exhaling it forcefully. "Basically, I told them that they were doing everything wrong. In my defence," he began, watching Hitomi's eyes widening in shock, "they really were. Even Iruka admitted it when I made him think about it."

"Even so, Naruto-kun," said Hitomi haltingly, thinking through what he was saying, "that doesn't mean you can start telling people how they should be doing things."

"They were going to get everybody killed."

Hitomi had to backtrack in her mind the words she was certain she had heard Naruto say. "What do you mean by that?"

"A clone will not help them out there," he said as he gestured a general direction with his arm. "Not unless they come across someone very untrained. If they do, they are more lucky than anything else. If not, well..."

He had no need to complete his statement. Hitomi's hands were shaking by the end of his explanation. She could complete his sentence perfectly well. "Is that really all they tested you on?" Naruto nodded. "I had no idea," she breathed. "Back when I became a genin, things were much more challenging."

"Well, I think we might get that challenge tomorrow," said Naruto with an excited grin. "See, Iruka has decided to take my advice on board. Tomorrow, the true genin exam will begin, to quote his words."

"I don't think you're going to be very popular when everybody else finds out," said Ino, looking to Naruto, who seemed rather unconcerned by the prospect.

"I'd rather they're all alive to dislike me," shrugged Naruto.

Hitomi smiled at his maturity. Truly, he was already thinking like a Hokage. Putting the needs of the village and its inhabitants before his own – whether they liked him or not – and making sure they were safe were responsibilities that the Hokage had to shoulder. "Well, we can always discuss this further over lunch. I'm sure Inoichi will want to thank you for looking out for Ino-chan as well, Naruto-kun."

"There's no need to thank me, Hitomi-san," said Naruto calmly, giving her a soft smile, "but I would like something to eat." His stomach chose that moment to sound unhappy, making both the Yamanaka females laugh.

"Well, we'd best get you something, hadn't we, Naruto-kun?" smiled Hitomi.

"Please," pouted Naruto, clutching his stomach theatrically. Ino couldn't help but laugh at his pitiful expression. "Ino," he whined, giving her a pained glance. "It isn't funny."

Ino could have argued the opposite quite thoroughly, but she was a little hungry herself, so she decided to save her energy. "If you say so, Naruto."

xOxOx

"So, the clone technique was the only requisite this time?" asked Inoichi as he, Hitomi, Ino and Naruto sat at the table in the Yamanaka home. "I see..." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Wait a moment," said Naruto, suddenly sitting up straight. He had detected something in Inoichi's words; something that had piqued his interest. "What do you mean by 'this time'?"

Hitomi seemed interested in her husband's answer as well. "Inoichi?"

Inoichi looked between his wife and the boy for a short moment. Rubbing at his temples, he steepled his hands and leaned his chin against them. "Uzumaki-san," he began cautiously, "this first exam wasn't to decide whether you would become genin or not."

Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch. "It wasn't?"

"At least, not in the way you were thinking. The first test was to determine those who had the potential aptitude to become genin. More tests would have been conducted tomorrow under the original plans," Inoichi clarified.

Naruto felt his face warming. "Oh," he said in embarrassment. "I see. Well, I feel stupid right about now."

"You weren't stupid, Naruto," began Ino, but Naruto wasn't listening.

"Kakashi-sensei told me that I had to start looking for the hidden truth in things. I've let him down."

"You haven't let anybody down, Naruto-kun," said Hitomi strongly, surprised that he'd even think such a thing. In all the time she had known him, he had never done anything to disappoint anybody.

"I just didn't want all of Ino's hard work to be for nothing," he said quietly.

Ino looked at Naruto in surprise. He hadn't said that when he'd explained it before. Her cheeks suddenly felt very warm.

"Uzumaki-san?" Inoichi kept his voice level and calm, waiting for Naruto to look to him. "You don't need to feel embarrassed or ashamed of anything you have done today." When Naruto continued to grumble, Inoichi cut him off. "Look at it this way. The Sandaime himself has recognised what you said, and has acted upon it. Why else would he ask for the test to be retaken and made more difficult? That is all thanks to you."

Naruto was embarrassed again, this time for a different reason. His cheeks flushed and he rubbed the back of his neck forcefully. "I just didn't want anybody to die needlessly. It seemed as though they were creating a picture of a world where nothing bad can ever happen. It isn't like that at all." His face darkened considerably.

Inoichi nodded sagely. "I understand that, Uzumaki-san. You don't need to worry, though. I have a feeling that this new exam will not be for the faint of heart. Your actions today may well end up saving lives in the future."

Naruto nodded, feeling better. "I hope they do," he said somewhat wistfully. "I hope they do..."

xOxOx

The new day dawned quickly, bringing Naruto and Ino to the Academy once more.

Ino looked to Naruto, a serious expression on her face. "Are you ready?"

Naruto nodded solemnly. "Let's do this."

That said, they advanced. This would be the day when they would prove themselves, both to their peers and mentors, but to each other as well.

Naruto and Ino entered the classroom. Looking between all of the happily grinning, newly graduated genin, Naruto had to suppress a twinge of guilt in his gut. He had spoken up to help them, to make sure they would have longer lives. Hopefully, when all was said and done, they would see it the same way. If not, well, he had experienced insults and injuries before. This time around, he was able to better defend himself against them.

Sakura spotted them first. "Hey Ino, Naruto, over here!" she called, waving at the two of them from her seat next to Sasuke, a place a lot of girls seemed rather envious of her for. As they approached, Sakura's brow furrowed. "Hey, where are your hitai-ate?"

"Well, about that," Naruto began, taking note of how he was being stared at by several girls, "we didn't graduate."

Sakura stared in shock. "There's no way..."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but by the slight narrowing of his eyes, it was clear he wanted an explanation.

"It isn't what either of you are thinking," said Ino quickly, moving to sit next to her.

"Well, what is it then?"

Naruto was about to answer before he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. "I think you're all about to find out."

Sakura followed his gaze to the Academy entrance. There stood Iruka and Mizuki, and in the centre of them was an unexpected – though not unwelcome – visitor: the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Quiet down, everybody," called Iruka as a number of the new graduates had yet to notice their presence. The young genin slowly turned, noticing their neighbours and the awestruck expressions on several faces.

"Good afternoon," said the Hokage pleasantly.

"Hokage-sama!" shouted all present with varying degrees of shakiness and hesitancy, except for one.

"Hokage-jiji!" grinned Naruto, earning a reproachful look from Mizuki.

The Sandaime dragged a breath from his pipe. "I'm certain you are all wondering why I'm here, no?" A few heads nodded slightly, wondering whether it was acceptable for them to respond to the most powerful shinobi in the Land of Fire. "Well, it was brought to my attention that this years genin graduation examination was a little on the easy side, shall we say. Therefore, it has been decided that today, a new exam will take place."

Murmurs ran through the gathered graduates. Quite a few didn't like where this seemed to be heading. Naruto and Ino exchanged a glance. He leaned his head forwards ever so slightly so he could whisper into Ino's ear. "Time to find out just how much they're going to dislike me, don't you think?"

Ino didn't answer straight away. Feeling Naruto's warm breath against her ear made her skin tingle. She had to spend a few moments recomposing herself. When she felt relatively settled, she responded. "I guess so."

The Sandaime adjusted the brim of his hat before speaking in a clear voice. "All students are required to participate."

Moments passed as the new ninja processed the Hokage's words. "Does that mean that I am no longer a genin, Hokage-sama?" asked Sakura, hesitant to put her question forward.

"That is correct," said the Sandaime gravely. "All graduating students are hereby stripped of their ranks of genin. Only those who pass the new exam will be allowed to regain their rank."

An angry buzzing accompanied these words. Nobody seemed very happy with what the Hokage had said. "This isn't fair!" wailed one of the – now no longer – graduates.

"That's right," agreed another – a short, simpering boy with an abrasive attitude. "Hokage-sama, perhaps you could reconsider?"

Just as the Sandaime was about to emphatically deny the request, another voice rang clear over the crowd. "Do you all want to die?" The room was instantly and predictably stunned into silence. They all turned as one to face the loud voice belonging to Naruto, who had stood up.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" asked Ino.

"Letting them know the truth," he replied simply. He turned to face them all, one angry mass of humanity. "Do you all want to die?" he repeated, looking from one face to another.

The Hokage had originally intended on explaining the reasoning himself, but he was willing to allow Naruto the opportunity of getting his new potential genin to understand. That wasn't to say that he would not intervene if he felt it prudent. For the present, though, he was content to leave it in Naruto's hands.

"Of course we don't!" was the emphatic answer he received.

The simpering boy spoke up. "Are you a moron?"

"I'm glad to hear that," said Naruto, completely ignoring the barb. "In that case, why are you all complaining about being forced to pass a more realistic test?"

A confused rumble passed through the gathering. "What do you mean by that, Naruto-san?" asked Aburame Shino. Naruto had never heard the boy speak before; seemingly, he chose only to speak when an important question needed asking. Naruto found himself liking the boy's attitude immediately.

"I'll give you an example. Imagine you and your team are in a wide open space, like a plain or a desert." He began to weave a tapestry, creating an image in their minds. It would be necessary considering what he was trying to prove. "All of a sudden, you find yourselves under attack. Enemy shinobi have ambushed your team. You watch in horror as your teammates fall, one by one, until you are the only one left alive."

His voice had been steadily quieting while speaking until at this point it was nothing more than a breathy whisper. A couple of the girls had tears falling from their eyes, imagining their friends dying while they had to stand by helplessly. Some of the boys gulped audibly. Kiba in particular seemed most affected. He grabbed the pup from off of his head and hugged him tight. "I won't let anything bad happen to you, Akamaru," he whispered, getting a lick to the cheek and a friendly yip from the ninken.

Naruto's rich tale was not yet finished. "Now, it's just you and your enemies. They have you outnumbered three to one. You know that at that very moment, your life and any secrets of your village hang in the balance. The only things that can keep you alive are your skills and your luck, although I would much rather rely upon skills. What can you do to protect yourselves? If you were to continue with what you needed to do to pass this exam yesterday, you would use a _Bunshin no Jutsu_ and everything would go perfectly."

He allowed himself to sigh in frustration before getting to his point. "In the real world, however, do you know what would happen if you were to use that particular ninjutsu?" He looked at his classmates, hoping one of them would reply with the correct answer. He wouldn't ask Ino, purely because she knew, and also because it could make her relationships with these people – who were already her friends or acquaintances – difficult. Nobody seemed to want to answer, though. _Perhaps they have realised the problem, but don't feel confident enough to say it...Actually, maybe they won't say it because of their respect for their teacher._

"Perhaps one of you would like to answer Naruto's question," said the Hokage gently, but with a commanding bite. "Nobody?"

"You'd end up with a dozen shuriken embedded in your body." The class as a whole turned to face the one who had spoken. Some of them seemed shocked when they realised it was Uchiha Sasuke who had uttered the ominous words, while others who had seen past his indifferent façade and became his friends knew why his voice was so cold and detached.

"Sasuke...kun..." muttered Sakura.

He wasn't finished though as he continued in a monotone voice. "After that, you might get a sword across the chest; the throat; through the lungs or the heart. Perhaps they'd throw a handful of fire jutsu in there as well, just for a change of pace. And then you'd look into their eyes – their cold, merciless eyes – and they'd make you see it all again..."

"Sasuke-kun!" cried Sakura as she grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her.

He seemed startled, like he had come out of a deep trance. "...Sakura?" He looked around himself; noticing the concerned glances of the Hokage, Naruto and Ino, he allowed himself to ask another question. "What happened?"

"...Nothing, Sasuke-kun. It doesn't matter," stuttered Sakura.

Sasuke accepted her words at face value. It still didn't explain one thing though. "Sakura? Why are you holding me?"

Sakura's arms shot back at his words. She hadn't noticed her continued hold. She had been solely focused upon helping him. Her cheeks reddened and she ducked her head. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun," she breathed, focusing exclusively upon her knees.

Naruto chose not to comment upon what had occurred between his friends. He didn't want to dredge up even more bad memories from Sasuke's past.

Sensing that Naruto didn't wish to continue, the Sandaime took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaled a large plume of smoke from his mouth, then took over. "Sasuke is correct. Now, can anybody tell me why?"

"Excuse me," came a whisper from the other side of the room. A girl with pale eyes had raised her hand timidly. "In the example Naruto-san gave us, there would be no way to disguise the fact of which was the clone and which was the user," stuttered the girl.

"Very astute," praised the Hokage, to which she gave a small squeak of embarrassment. "Can you tell me why that is, Hinata?"

Hinata put her fingers together, nervously prodding them against each other. "That is because an ordinary clone does not possess a shadow."

"That is correct," said the Sandaime gravely.

"Hang on a minute," spoke up the simpering boy for a third time. "If this clone technique is so useless in the real world, why were we tested on it?"

"That was my mistake," said the Hokage, looking truly apologetic. "I'm afraid that I originally had other plans for each of you graduates," and here he gave Naruto a pointed look, who had the grace to look abashed, "but at the suggestion of a trusted individual, a new test was devised. This will incorporate both yesterday's exam and the further tests you would have taken. This will be the exam you will each take today."

A stunned silence captured the room. They all seemed to be thinking through the Hokage's words. Naruto was stunned to hear that the Hokage thought of him as trusted. It meant a great deal to him.

Something had to break the silence eventually; it would end up being the simpering boy for the fourth time. "What will we be tested on, Hokage-sama?" he asked, his previous bluster forgotten.

The Hokage smiled. "You will be tested upon what it means to be a ninja. Good luck."


	6. The True Genin Exams Begin!

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter VI – The True Genin Exams Begin!

As soon as the Hokage left the room in a stunned state, Iruka stepped up. "Okay students. When your name is called, you will step forward. Once here, you will select a piece of paper from within the bag Mizuki-sensei is holding." Here, he pointed to the white-haired chūnin who had an even expression on his face. "On this piece of paper will be a number. That number corresponds to your placement in our battle tournament."

"Battle tournament?" was whispered by a few.

"The first stage of our genin examinations will be a no-holds barred spar against another member of this class. Any and all techniques you know are permitted in these fights."

"But, Iruka-sensei, isn't that dangerous?" asked one of the girls, wringing her hands in apprehension.

Iruka smiled at her. "Not to worry. Both Mizuki-sensei and myself will be present. If it seems as though a fight is getting out of hand, we will step in. Now, you will be marked based upon five criteria: ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, bukijutsu – better known as the art of using weaponry – and a final hidden criteria." He looked around the class, and was pleased to see several determined faces looking back at him. "Good luck to each of you. Give it your best, and no matter what happens, you can be proud of yourselves. Aburame Shino, step forward."

Shino stood and walked purposely to the front of the class. Looking at the bag held in Mizuki's hands, he placed his hand in, rifled around for a few seconds, then withdrew a single piece of paper. Unfolding it, he looked for a second. "Number thirteen," he said slowly, showing the paper to Iruka and Mizuki, before showing the rest of the class.

Iruka nodded. "Please sit back down, Shino. Akimichi Chōji."

Chōji repeated Shino's actions, before revealing his number. "I got seven," he said sheepishly.

Iruka noted it, then said the next name on his list.

Naruto waited impatiently for his turn. Since his name was going to be last but one, he had plenty of time to imagine who he would be matched up with. _I don't really mind who I have to fight against, but I hope I get to face Sasuke._

He made certain to keep tabs on the numbers his friends drew. Hinata got number six; Sakura plucked five; while Kiba drew one. He seemed pleased by the number, as he began gloating. "Yeah! Who's number one? Me, that's who!" Shikamaru, looking highly unmotivated as usual, slouched his way to the front and pulled out number eight. He seemed put out by the number as a frown rapidly formed on his face. Naruto was confused by the expression. _I wonder whether he's figured something out._

Next was Sasuke. Walking to the front, accompanied by calls of "Sasuke-kun!" from various segments of the female population, he reached in and retrieved a slip. "Two," he said shortly, already moving back to his seat.

"Uzumaki Naruto, step forward," said Iruka.

Finally, it was his turn. "Good luck, Naruto," said Ino with a smile as he stood.

He grinned back at her before walking with purpose towards the front. He looked from Iruka's solemn face to Mizuki. With a nod, Naruto reached into the bag. The majority of the slips had already been taken, leaving him with a choice of two. Settling upon one, he yanked it free. Unfolding the paper, he stared at the number. "Nineteen," he said.

"Okay, thank you, Naruto. Yamanaka Ino, please step forward." As he passed Ino on his walk back to his seat, he gave her a quick smile – one she happily received. Standing in front of Mizuki, she grabbed the final slip from within the now empty bag. "Number twenty," she reported dutifully.

"Thank you, Ino," said Iruka, taking his final note. "Please return to your seat." He waited while Ino walked the twenty or so paces back to her desk before continuing. "Right. You have all selected your numbers. Now I will show you what they represent." Taking a piece of chalk, he began to rapidly write on the chalkboard. As Iruka scribbled, Naruto noticed Shikamaru's frown return. Following the Nara's gaze, he noticed why Shikamaru seemed so troubled. There, in a crudely drawn table was the name of his opponent. Others noticed as well if their cries of disbelief were anything to go by.

Iruka completed his diagram. Putting the chalk down, he faced his class. "Now then, as you can see, the way the fights have been arranged are by your numbers. One and two – that is to say, Kiba and Sasuke – will fight first, then three and four, and so on, until all twenty-eight of you have fought."

Naruto and Ino both faced each other, a shared look of worry on their faces. "Is this for real?" asked Ino hesitantly.

"I think so," gulped Naruto. There on the board was a planned battle. 'Nineteen – Uzumaki Naruto versus Yamanaka Ino – twenty.' He and she were to be each other's opponents.

Unaware of the dilemma the two friends were now facing, Iruka continued to speak. "Now, everybody will follow Mizuki-sensei and myself to the training ground selected for today's examination." With that said, he began to head out of the classroom.

Slowly, hesitantly, the class stood and began to shuffle after their chūnin instructor.

Naruto and Ino hung back from the rest of the class. They were thinking through what was about to happen. They had sparred against each other before, that was true, but this would not be like those other times. This time, they would be aiming to inflict enough damage to reign victorious.

Naruto in particular was troubled. _How can I hurt her? If it wasn't for her, Hitomi-san and Yamanaka-san accepting me, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. What sort of way is this to repay them?_

Ino noticed Naruto's troubled frown. "Hey, Naruto," she said quietly. He turned to face her, his usual perpetual grin lost to a stormy grimace. "When we fight, we fight for real," she said sharply.

"Ino..."

"I don't want you taking it easy on me, Naruto. Whoever wins out of us, I want it to be because they won fair and square. I don't want you giving me an unfair advantage by not giving it your all."

"Ino," Naruto started shakily. "I don't want to hurt you."

Ino smirked. "Oh? You've already decided that there's no way I could possibly hold my own against you? You think I'm that weak?"

"No, not a chance!" he exclaimed, shocked she was even think such a thing. "It's just that..." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue his chain of thought.

"Naruto, look at me," she commanded in a soft, lilting tone. Oceanic eyes met seaglass; he focused exclusively upon them. "We've both trained for years for this moment, right?" He nodded. "I don't want to have any regrets, Naruto. I won't be holding anything back." Naruto wasn't surprised by the determination ringing true in her voice, but he was still hesitant. "We're friends, aren't we, Naruto?" Suddenly, her voice was much more uncertain.

Naruto gave a deep smile, one which softened his eyes. "Not just friends, Ino. You're my best friend."

Ino accepted his statement with a shy smile, one which made her nose scrunch up. "Exactly. My point is that I trust you, Naruto." He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he couldn't get the words out. He ended up having to settle for rubbing the back of his neck furiously while his cheeks brightened. "When we fight each other, I want you to take me seriously. I don't want you to hold back because I'm a girl, or because of our friendship. I want to fight you as an equal."

Naruto's eyes widened as a stiff breeze blew between them, a few stray leaves floating by them, borne upon the invisible force. Her eyes held their usual lustre, but a fierce determination was shining through. "Okay, Ino," he said quietly. "When we fight, it will be for real." His voice was calm, accepting. He closed his eyes as he beamed. "Our battle will be so impressive, they'll be talking about it for years to come," he said with a chuckle.

"No doubt," agreed Ino, before she wrapped her arms around Naruto.

Caught off guard, his arms were pinned against his sides. He would have liked to hug her back, but her current grip on him made that possibility unlikely. "Ino?"

Leaning her cheek against his chest, she sighed. "Thank you, Naruto," she said softly.

"For what?"

"For being a true friend." _For accepting me_, was the unspoken thought flitting through her mind.

xOxOx

"Okay, is everybody here?" called Iruka as they reached training ground eleven. The place was enormous; grassy fields dominated much of it, though around the perimeter were large trees – maples mostly, their leaves a dusky orange hue – which enclosed the ground. A wide stream sliced straight across the field, the water flowing steadily along its way. Doing a quick mental head count, Iruka nodded to Mizuki. "Good, we can begin the exam since we're all set. Now remember everybody; if either myself or Mizuki-sensei feel that a match has reached its conclusion, or that one of you is in particular risk of real harm, we will stop the battle. Before that, though, I need you all to sign something for me."

Reaching into his chūnin jacket, he retrieved a handful of paper sheets. "Pass them along," he said, giving half the bundle to Sakura, and the other half to Hinata. The girls dutifully took a sheet, passed the rest along, then began to read.

The boy with the abrasive attitude who had thought himself superior to everybody else in his class had an expression on his face which pretty much summed up what everybody was thinking once they had finished reading. His face had gone two shades paler, and his fingers were shaking slightly. "What is this?" he trembled out.

"These are waivers, stating that in the event of your deaths during these exams, neither the Hokage, the Academy, nor any of your classmates can be held legally responsible. By signing these, you are acknowledging that you are going to be willingly putting your life at risk," answered Iruka solemnly.

The boy's trembling grew worse. "I don't feel so good," he managed to get out before the contents of his stomach ended up on the ground beneath him. A few of his classmates cringed at the sight, turning their faces away. The boy began to heave, holding his painfully clenching stomach.

Iruka walked up to him and put a comforting hand on his back. "It's okay," he said calmly. Honestly, he had always had an inclination that the boy would be unable to hack the ninja life, but he always assumed the boy would have been weeded out during the secondary selections by his jonin instructor. Now, with these new exams, it became apparent rather quickly that he did not possess the mental fortitude to be a shinobi of Konohagakure. "If I could give you some advice," he said to the boy in an undertone, "I would advise you that being a shinobi is not the only path you can take in life. There are many other ways you can contribute to the continued success of our village, okay?"

With a weak nod, the boy struggled upright. "Go home and clean yourself up," said Iruka. "You were number twenty-five, so your match will most likely not be for some time. If you wish to come back later and participate, so be it."

With a shaky nod and mumble of thanks, the boy turned away from his peers and stumblingly headed in the direction of the village. Iruka allowed himself a small sigh of relief. To his mind, at least the boy now understood what would be expected of him. Hopefully, he'd take the walk back home as an opportunity to have a serious think about what he planned to do with his life.

Turning to the rest of his class, he was faced by a grinning Naruto holding out twenty-seven completed forms. "Here you are, Iruka."

"Thank you, Naruto," he replied, taking the forms from Naruto's hand. Running through the forms quickly to make certain things were in order, he faced his students. "Now, before we begin, let me say something. The filling out of these forms was the first part of this genin examination." Seeing the surprised faces of his class, he beamed at them. "So, congratulations on passing the first part of the genin exam! I'm proud of each and every one of you."

"I don't understand, Iruka-sensei," said Kiba, looking confused, seemingly speaking for a number of his peers.

"The short answer, Kiba, is that you have all been told from the very beginning of your training in the Academy that you will end up having to put your lives on the line for the continued prosperity and safety of the Leaf Village. Up until now, however, that has been a far-off prospect. The point of this first test was to see how you would react to being suddenly forced to face the issue at hand, accept it, and move past it. The fact that I have twenty-seven signed forms proves that you all possess the will and determination to be willing to see your mission through, despite any potential risks."

A number of the class perked up at Iruka's explanation. There were smiles all round from pretty much everybody. Iruka watched them interact with no small amount of pride. "Okay," he began, drawing the attention back to himself. "First combatants – Uchiha Sasuke and Inuzuka Kiba – please step forward."

From within the crowd, Sasuke and Kiba walked out. Stepping before Iruka, they faced one another. "So, you're my opponent," said Kiba conversationally. "Well, don't expect me to go easy on you."

Sasuke smirked. "I'd hope not. After all, unless you take this seriously, the match will be over before it even starts."

Kiba growled at Sasuke's jab. Clearly, the Uchiha fancied himself to be superior. "Don't be so full of yourself, Uchiha," snapped the Inuzuka. "I've been training as hard as anybody else here. I won't lose to you."

"Enough," snapped Iruka, before placing his hands together. "Now, both of you, make the sign." Sighing, Kiba stepped forwards and extended his hand, his fore and ring fingers held out. When he noticed Sasuke had not moved, Kiba grew agitated. "What are you waiting for?" he demanded. "I know it's embarrassing, but hurry it up so we can get started."

With an indifferent shrug, Sasuke moved to face Kiba and held his own hand out. Stretching them towards one another, the two allowed the fingers to link together, held it for a couple of seconds, then backed away. "Excellent," said Iruka as the two stepped back to their starting positions. "Now, don't forget. In this fight, anything is allowed, so don't be afraid to show what you can do."

Sasuke faced Kiba, his eyes focused, his strategy already formed in his mind. His fingers twitched with anticipation. He clenched them together into tight fists. Kiba stared back at Sasuke, his own eyes narrowed. He whispered continually to Akamaru; the pup was already on the ground next to his best friend, yipping animatedly.

Iruka looked them over once more before nodding. "Ready? Begin!" He stepped back as a trio of kunai flew from Sasuke's hand, all of them aiming for Kiba. With a quick roll, Kiba was out of the way. The kunai impacted harmlessly against the ground several metres at his back. Getting to his feet as soon as his roll was completed, Kiba took a kunai from his leg holster and steadied it in his right hand. "Let's see how you fare in taijutsu, Uchiha," growled Kiba as he ran at high speed.

"Coming up close is a bad idea," taunted a supremely confident Sasuke, retrieving a handful of shuriken. He threw these at Kiba's rapidly approaching form, all of them accurate. Kiba stopped his run and watched their paths carefully, raising his kunai to parry them at the appropriate times. With the last of the shuriken chipped on the ground beneath him, Kiba resumed his charge.

"He's skilled," commented Naruto, impressed by the Inuzuka. _Now what will you do, Sasuke?_

Sasuke was surprised that Kiba was able to stop his attack. He had felt certain that Kiba only possessed his family taijutsu, and that could be easily handled by keeping him at range. Now, the Inuzuka was drawing ever closer, and Sasuke was running out of manoeuvring space.

Grabbing another kunai from his leg holster, Sasuke held it tightly in a reverse grip. "Let's see whether you'll be of any challenge," goaded Sasuke, beginning his own run.

The two met in a clash of steel, sparks flickering into existence from the force the two exerted against the other. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he felt Kiba pushing him back. _How can he be so strong?_

Kiba noticed this for he smiled ferally. "What's the matter, Uchiha? Finding it difficult?"

"Shut up, Inuzuka," ground out Sasuke, pushing back against Kiba with all the strength he could muster.

"They seem to be of equal strength," said Chōji, watching the battle unfolding with wide eyes.

"A stalemate," muttered Shino from his position next to Hinata. The girl was watching the unfolding battle nervously, her forefingers of each hand tapping lightly against one another.

Akamaru circled the battle impatiently. He wanted to help his partner, but he would wait for the command. If his partner wished to fight on his own for the present, then as his friend, he would trust his judgement.

It seemed a wise decision, too, for finally, with a wicked snarl, Kiba wrenched Sasuke's kunai upwards, pulled back his arm and slammed his fist into the Uchiha's gut. Sasuke gasped out harshly, all the breath forced from his lungs while Kiba followed up with a harsh kick, sending Sasuke sprawling to the ground.

"Sasuke-kun!" screeched Sakura from the sidelines. She couldn't believe it. Never before had she seen Sasuke get hurt like this. "Get up!"

Ino was looking at Sasuke with concern in her eyes. "Is he going to lose?"

"I'm not sure," answered Naruto truthfully. "If it carries on like this, he will. He needs to try something else."

Sasuke pushed against the ground, trying to get to his feet. He was still feeling the effects from Kiba's hit. His stomach was paining him terribly and his limbs felt shaky. "Damn it," he cursed.

"What's wrong, Sasuke?" asked Kiba, pointedly taunting the Uchiha. "I thought this match was going to be over before it started? Have you realised now that you underestimated me?" His grin was suddenly replaced with a harsh, animalistic glare. "The Inuzuka are taijutsu experts. We train our close combat skills daily. It's going to take a lot more than what you have to beat me in a taijutsu match."

"Now who's being full of himself?" spat out Sasuke as he stumbled to his feet. He looked a little wobbly, but his overall stance was solid. "Let's try this again."

Kiba shrugged. "Suit yourself, but don't think I'm going to pull any punches."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," smirked Sasuke as he ran through hand-seals, his hands ending on the sign for tiger. "_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu_," he called out before inhaling deeply though his mouth, then unleashing a fireball of considerable size. Naruto could feel the heat of the attack from where he was standing, quite a distance away.

Kiba's dismissive attitude melted from his face as he saw the size of the blaze headed his way. "Akamaru, move!" he cried in fear as he rapidly ran through a specific set of hand-seals. "_Shikyaku no Jutsu_." Bending so he was using his hands like a set of front paws, he sped away from the monstrous fireball, his pup on his heels. Luckily for the two of them, the ball of flame missed them, but only by a scratch. Kiba's clothing came off a little worse for wear in parts.

"You okay, Akamaru?" asked a rattled Kiba. Akamaru's positive bark gave Kiba something to be cheerful about. He turned to face a stoic Sasuke. "I have to admit I wasn't expecting something like that," he said, somewhat in awe.

"The Uchiha are masters of fire style ninjutsu," said Sasuke. He seemed to be deep in thought for a short span, during which Kiba looked at the Uchiha impatiently, his eyes keen. "You are a strong opponent," decided the Uchiha finally, making Kiba grin.

"Was there ever any doubt?" he gloated. "You aren't too shabby yourself," he said, giving his opponent the respect he was due. "Now, where were we? Oh, right, I was about to win."

"Delusional to the end," commented Sasuke, reaching into his leg holster for another kunai.

"Sasuke-kun," muttered Sakura, totally engrossed in the deepening battle unfolding before her eyes.

"Let's go, Akamaru," said Kiba, already crouching on all fours. Akamaru gave an excitable yelp as he ran to his partner's side. Finally, he would be able to show just how hard he and his partner had been training. "_Gijin Ninpō: Jūjin Bunshin!_" Akamaru was covered by a deep mist, his body completely concealed. Sasuke raised his guard, the hairs on the back of his neck rising.

As the mist cleared, a perfect replica of Kiba was revealed. Now, there were two Kiba's, both of them snarling. "Time to test out our family taijutsu," growled one of the Kiba's as they both wrapped their arms around their respective sides. "_Gatsūga!_" The two Kiba's became a blur as they span, faster and faster still, until what looked like a vortex surrounded them. Somehow, with the extreme speed of their rotation, they were able to whirl through the air as though it wasn't a barrier.

Sasuke was stunned as the two grew closer together until they became one larger, more focused spiral.

"Sasuke-kun!" cried Sakura helplessly.

_Damn! No time to dodge!_

Sasuke was overwhelmed as the whirling force came at him. With a resounding smash, the twin Kiba's attack barrelled into the Uchiha, slamming into the earth beneath their feet. Large clumps of dirt were thrown up by the vicious attack.

"Sasuke-kun! Where is he? Is he alright?!" choked out Sakura fearfully.

As the air became clear, they saw the two Kiba's standing resolutely. One of them sighed deeply. "Clever, Uchiha." At his feet were the splintered remains of a piece of wood. His sighing frown quickly turned into a feral grin of enthusiasm. "Still, it isn't as if you can hide from us. Our noses are super sensitive, which is why our clan are tracking specialists. We'll sniff you out." Holding his head up, he took a few tentative breaths through his nose before whirling to face his back. "Found you!" he shouted, already bounding towards the tree-line, the other Kiba hot on his heels.

After his quick substitution, Sasuke had been thinking rapidly the entire time he was hidden from Kiba's gaze. The Inuzuka had surprised him with the speed and power of his taijutsu. Clearly, when they had sparred in the past, he had been holding back significantly. Sasuke's plan had originally been to show off his accuracy and efficiency with ninja tools, followed by a display of the strength of his taijutsu. Next, he would surprise the instructors with his ability to use element manipulation, then finish strongly with some more taijutsu before making Kiba yield. Seemingly, however, Kiba would not be a willing participant to this rout.

As soon as he heard Kiba declare that he had been discovered, Sasuke had a new plan in his mind, one which would involve precise timing. He jumped down from the branches, landing nimbly on the balls of his feet. He looked up to see the two Kiba's charging him down, their teeth bared. Sasuke knew that he would only get the one chance to try this move. If he missed, Kiba would be wise to his strategy and he would never get the opportunity to try it again.

He stood stoically, awaiting Kiba and his attack, which was sure to be brutal and fast. Kiba smirked as he saw the resolutely standing Uchiha. "Giving up?" he shouted, drawing no response. "You should have stayed down earlier and saved yourself a whole lot of pain! _Gatsūga!_" Forming their synchronised attack again, the twin Kiba's bared down upon Sasuke, who still refused to move.

"Move, Sasuke-kun! He'll kill you!" cried Sakura.

"It's over, Sasuke!" snarled Kiba as their attack hit Sasuke full force, his body crumpling around the blow.

"Sasuke-kun!"

The attack ended as the duo came to an abrupt stop. They had noticed something vitally important. Looking behind themselves, Kiba was dismayed to find the remains of another splintered branch of wood. "Damn it, Sasuke! Another substitution? I mean, really? Are we going to keep playing hide-and-seek all day, or are you going to–"

Kiba's tirade was cut short, as suddenly, the real Sasuke dropped from the branch he had been concealing himself in and slammed his outstretched foot onto the top of one of the Kiba's heads, sending him crumpling to the ground. "No! Akamaru!" shouted the true Kiba as Akamaru's transformation ceased and the little dog was shown, whimpering pitifully. Kiba snarled savagely, his fear and rage for his partner overriding his common sense. "How could you?!"

"He's losing control of his emotions," said Ino.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "I don't think this fight is going to last much longer."

Sasuke stood calmly – arrogantly even. "What did you expect? Was I supposed to just stand here and let you win?" It was a rhetorical question; one he didn't require Kiba to respond to. "Besides, Kiba," he began, and his voice became eerily detached, "if I can't win against you, what chance do I have against him?"

Kiba hadn't an idea what Sasuke was talking about. All he could think about was Akamaru, lying on his side, the pain he was feeling evident by his low-pitched whimpers. Nobody hurt his best friend and got away with it. "Uchiha!" he cried as he swung his arms behind himself. "_Tsūga!_"

It was a similar attack to the one he had used in conjunction with Akamaru earlier, but it was significantly smaller and lacking in strength. Sasuke watched him approach carefully, pinpointing the exact moment when he would be upon him. Deciding the time had come, he leapt above Kiba's spinning form, narrowly missing the blurringly fast assault. Landing on his feet, he rapidly ran through a string of familiar hand-seals. "_Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu._"

The fireball left his lips in a molten stream, racing towards Kiba who had just landed from his attack. Turning, Kiba saw the ball of flame headed straight for him, the heat stifling, the speed immense. _No time...!_ he cursed mentally, his eyes wide and horror-filled.

"_Suiton: Suijinheki!_" A wall of water sprang from the stream, forming a barrier between Kiba and Sasuke's attack. Sizzling upon contact, the fireball was slowly engulfed by the swirling waters, steam rising from where the two forces collided. Finally, the ball of flame disappeared before the strength of the aqua defence.

Kiba allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, exhaling the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Sweat beaded on his brow as he realised just how close he had been to being engulfed by Sasuke's fire style ninjutsu.

Iruka released his jutsu, the water returning from viscous to its liquid state, splashing onto the grass. Breathing deeply, he began walking over to Kiba. Using his water wall technique drained him of a considerable amount of his chakra, but he was infinitely grateful he was able to perform it. If he hadn't have been able to, the consequences were too dire to even imagine. "Kiba, are you alright?" Kiba didn't respond immediately. Instead, he focused on sucking in deep breaths in rapid succession, his eyes still wide and shocked. "Kiba?"

Kiba turned to face Iruka, his eyes wild for a moment, before he realised something vitally important. "Akamaru!" he shouted as he ran on shaky legs to where the pup lay still, his whimpers quieted down. Gently, he lifted Akamaru into his arms. "Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" A slow, tentative lick on his cheek made him hold back tears. "I'm so sorry, Akamaru."

Iruka addressed his students. "This battle is concluded. The winner is Uchiha Sasuke." A cheer rang out for the victorious Uchiha whose expression remained neutral. "The next match is between..."

Sasuke walked over to his peers, a contemplative expression on his face, as the two girls whose names had been called out stepped towards the centre of the field, their faces grim. "Still not strong enough," he muttered darkly to himself.

Sakura beamed as he approached. "Sasuke-kun! That was amazing!" she gushed. She wasn't the only one; several of his admirers were heaping the praise upon him for his victory, completely ignoring the battle cries of the two kunoichi currently locked in combat.

"Congratulations, Sasuke," smiled Ino, getting an upturn of the lips – and nothing more – from Sasuke.

"Not bad, Sasuke," said Naruto, drawing Sasuke's attention."Your fire technique has gotten a lot more powerful than I remember it." Acknowledging the respect with a nod of the head, Sasuke rejoined the group.

Naruto kept his eyes upon the unfolding battle. The one girl had a clear advantage over the other, judging by how accurate her shuriken were. More than once, the other girl ended up crying out as a shuriken or kunai nicked her, drawing blood.

Eventually, the girl was worn out, physically and emotionally. Her threshold for pain had been reached and she could take no more. "Iruka-sensei, I forfeit," she said with tears sparkling in her eyes.

Iruka nodded seriously. "The winner of this contest by forfeit, Seiko." The victorious girl seemed unaffected by the pronouncement; instead, she walked back to her classmates with a carefully guarded expression on her face. As the defeated girl walked past him, Iruka spoke in a whisper. "That was a very brave decision you made," he said kindly. The girl managed a small, watery smile as she continued to rejoin the class.

"Who is she?" asked Naruto, intrigued as he followed Seiko with his eyes.

"Who, Seiko?" repeated Sakura, getting a nod from Naruto. "I'm not really sure. I've never really spoken to her before."

"She seems interesting," said Naruto to himself as Iruka spoke up again.

"Next match, Haruno Sakura against Hyūga Hinata. Please step forward."

Sakura swallowed back the heavy lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Hinata seemed equally concerned. Her entire demeanour screamed of apprehension.

Ino took charge. Gripping Sakura's shoulders tightly, she spoke to her long-time friend. "Good luck, Sakura. Go out there and show everybody what you can do." Leaning towards Sakura's ear, Ino whispered so only she could hear. "Don't forget, Sakura. This is your chance to impress Sasuke."

It seemed as though mentioning the Uchiha was the correct tactic, for Sakura straightened suddenly and marched to the battleground, no nervousness showing. Though Ino hated having to play upon Sakura's near obsession with Sasuke, she wouldn't allow her friend to embarrass herself by not doing her best.

Next, she turned to Hinata. "Hinata!"

The Hyūga girl looked at Ino with wide eyes. "Ino-san?"

"Good luck! Do your best!" cheered Ino, making Hinata's cheeks darken in surprise.

"Thank you, Ino-san," said Hinata finally, trying her best to not appear apprehensive as she slowly walked over to where Sakura was punching the air, seemingly warming up.

"Are you looking forward to this, Ino?" asked Naruto, looking at his best friend with a grin on her face. When Ino didn't answer, but her grin grew, Naruto nodded. "Me, as well."

"Are you both ready?" asked Iruka.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," said Hinata.

"Yes," Sakura said.

"Very well, then. Let the match begin!"


	7. The Harshness of Reality

**The Sharpest Edge**

Chapter VII – The Harshness of Reality

Sakura jumped back a few paces, determined to put valuable distance between Hinata and herself, so that she could observe the Hyūga, and determine the appropriate course of action.

Looking over the relatively short distance between them, she noticed that Hinata seemed to be considering her as well, the Hyūga's pale eyes focused exclusively upon her. It was a little unnerving, the way Hinata stared at her, watching hawk-like for the slightest twitch of a muscle. Sakura watched on with growing trepidation as Hinata's eyes grew seemingly larger, with several veins rising prominently to the surface either side of them. "Byakugan," whispered the two girls, almost with perfect timing. Hinata's hands rose up in front of her chest, palms outwards, fingers rigidly upright.

Sakura stared back, just as determinedly, showing outwardly that she was unafraid. Inwardly, there was a great deal of concern, however, this was her big chance to show that she was worthy of graduating from the Academy. Plus, it would give her the opportunity to show her Sasuke-kun just how beneficial it would be for him to choose her.

Deciding that their battle of stares was getting them nowhere fast, Sakura grabbed a handful of shuriken and flung them as fast as she could. Seeing the threat the impending throwing stars presented, Hinata leapt backwards, before coming to a stop a few metres back. Releasing a deep breath, Hinata retook her stance. Aside from the dirt covering her palms and fingers, Hinata was completely unscathed.

Sakura hadn't expected such a simple thing to work. Hinata was the heiress of the Hyūga clan, and was bound to have been trained to an exceptionally high standard at home. That didn't mean that Sakura felt inferior, though. She had parents who were shinobi as well, and they had trained their daughter well.

She needed a plan of action; something that would give her an advantage over the seemingly impenetrable defence that Hinata was showcasing. Engaging in close combat was a definitely bad idea. From what her parents had told her, the Hyūga were famous for both their Byakugan, and their mastery of the Jūken style of taijutsu, a powerful martial art that damaged their enemies by forcing pulses of their own chakra through their opponent's bodies, effectively destroying them from the inside out. Keeping her distance was vital, however, Sakura did not possess any long-range battle techniques. The only attacks she could muster from distance were her kunai and shuriken, and Hinata had just demonstrated perfectly the results of such actions. To say that Sakura was concerned about her chances in this battle would be an understatement.

Hinata, on the other hand, was not aware of the thoughts running through her opponent's mind. Instead, Hinata had been keeping a close watch on Sakura, looking for any potential weaknesses; the only thing that sprang to her mind was her affection for Uchiha Sasuke, but that was something that she didn't feel was exploitable in the current situation.

Truthfully, the Hyūga heiress didn't want to battle at all. She absolutely hated fighting. From when she was young and able to recall memories on command, all she could remember was conflict. Arguments between her mother and father, where on occasion her father's words could be very cutting; to sparring with her little sister – although Hanabi had not looked upon them as friendly training, but rather as opportunities to showcase her own dominance over Hinata, who was much more reserved, not wanting to hurt her sister – almost daily; to having to bear her father's disapproving stares almost every time she saw him.

She had to stop the direction of her thoughts. They were proving distracting from the task at hand. Her current goal was to incapacitate the girl opposite her, no matter how much distaste she felt for it. These exams were far too important for her to simply give up. They were a stepping stone; a platform from which she could begin to achieve her ambition.

Thusly, when Hinata saw that Sakura was not willing to engage her, she took the initiative. "Here I come, Sakura-san," she said, before beginning a run, her style still preserved despite the speed with which she moved.

Sakura, being left with little choice, dashed towards Hinata, intent upon ending the battle with a few well-placed powerful punches. Slowing her run and settling back into a practised stance, Hinata held firm, waiting for the opportune moment.

As Sakura drew close, she thrust her right hand forwards, clenched tightly into a fist. Blocking with her forearm, Hinata stopped the attack, then thrust her hand forwards, aiming to slam it into her opponent's chest. Sakura was ready, though. She had expected the retaliatory blow, so ducking beneath the attack, she swept her right leg in a wide arc, attempting to unbalance the Hyūga.

Hinata, not expecting this, took the full force of the attack, her right leg nearly buckling beneath her. Hinata gritted her teeth as she felt the pain register in her nerves, while Sakura nimbly scooted away.

"I guess the first round goes to me," said Sakura, a small amount of smugness entering her voice. She was sorely tempted to search out Sasuke, just to see what his reaction was. As it stood, however, she couldn't afford to take her eyes off of the Hyūga heiress.

Hinata could feel tears trying to force themselves from her eyes, but she blinked them away angrily. She would not cry! Not today, nor ever again. Today was supposed to be the beginning of the new Hinata; instead, she was nearly reduced to a quivering wreck by one hit. Forcing herself to stand straight and proud, she faced her opponent. "I guess it does, Sakura-san," she replied, giving the pink-haired girl a small smile that quickly became a straight line, devoid of any outward emotion. "However, the final round will belong to me."

That said, Hinata began a new assault. With rapid steps, Hinata reduced the distance between herself and Sakura, forcing Sakura onto the defensive instantaneously. Taking out a kunai, she gripped it firmly in her right hand. This way, she reasoned she would be able to hold Hinata's taijutsu for a short while, just until she considered her options. "Come then, Hinata! Let's see what you can do!" she goaded, hoping that her heckling would break through Hinata's composure.

It didn't seem to work, though, for Hinata continued her run, her whole body primed to attack. As she drew closer, Sakura could see something in Hinata's eyes: resolve. Sakura could see that no matter what she might do, or how she might prepare, Hinata was not going to stop her charge.

Sakura didn't want to seriously hurt Hinata by potentially stabbing her with the kunai held in her now shaking hand, but she hadn't got any clue as to what to do next.

Those moments of hesitation allowed Hinata to bear upon Sakura, her palm slamming against Sakura's chest, eliciting dual gasps – one of pain from Sakura, and one of anguish from Hinata.

Falling back from the force exerted by Hinata's strike, Sakura fell, her back crashing to the ground. She winced as she felt pain cascading around her body. Reality then rushed upon her, and she realised that she was lying on her back! All Hinata would need to do was either hold her at kunai-point or incapacitate her another way, and she would be given the victory! With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Sakura forced herself to her feet, wobbling slightly as she tried to right her equilibrium. She felt dizzy, holding a hand to her forehead, willing the disorientation away.

It was at that moment that she realised that Hinata was yet to try and claim the match. Blinking owlishly, she looked to Hinata; the girl seemed shaken. Her hands were scrunched together, she chewed on her lower lip – seemingly not noticing – and her eyes were shimmering.

"Hinata," said Sakura, drawing Hinata's attention to her, "why are you so bothered by this little injury? It's not that bad." Really, while she was appreciative of Hinata's concern, this was not the place for it. They were supposed to be fighting, damn it!

"Sakura-san, I...I really dislike fighting," Hinata softly admitted, unclenching her hands long enough to begin nervously prodding her fingertips together. "I don't like hurting others."

"Hinata," began Sakura cautiously, "this is a battle. Accidents sometimes happen. Besides, as ninja, there are going to be times when we will have no choice but to fight."

"I know that!" exclaimed Hinata passionately, surprising herself with the emotion she put into the words. "I know that..."

"If you know that, why would you become a ninja, then?" asked Sakura, genuinely curious.

"To fulfil my dream," answered Hinata after a moment of contemplative thought.

"Your...dream...?"

Hinata smiled as she took in a deep breath. She remembered her promise to herself, back when she was younger, then repeated the words for everyone to hear. "I want to become a great shinobi! Strong like my father, and kind like my mother. To fulfil that dream, I will work hard, then, perhaps one day, I might finally get the recognition I desire." Her father's approving face flashed through her mind as she completed her words. Of course, it was an image she had created in her imagination, but it provided her with the comfort that she may one day see that look on his face. One day, perhaps.

"Hinata..."

"Sakura-san. I swore to myself before this battle began...that I would give it my all, no matter how much it hurt me to do so. It doesn't matter whether I dislike fighting," said Hinata, shaking her head slowly. "The truth is...to become what I want to be, I have to work hard for it, never giving up. I have to ignore the fact that I am hurting others, and do what needs to be done, to protect both my home, and those I love. Maybe then, I will be able to say that I am proud of who I am."

"Go for it, Hinata!" cheered Ino, waving her arms widely. "Do your best!"

"Ino-san..."

"Hey, Ino! What the hell?!" seethed Sakura.

"Oh!" said Ino, sounding surprised. "You as well, Sakura."

"Ino!"

Hinata softly giggled at their battle of words, a genuine smile blossoming on her face. She would show everybody watching that she was more than capable. She would prove to everybody that she had worked hard. Most importantly, she would prove to herself that she could change, and become the person she wanted to be. "Strong and kind, just like my parents..." she breathed, before a fierce look of determination blossomed on her face. "Sakura-san, I am going to give this battle my all from this point forward," she stated fiercely.

Sakura gave a short grin. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Hinata!"

"It looks like they're going to get serious, huh?" Ino asked of her best friend.

"It looks that way," replied Naruto, turning back to the match. "I wonder what Sakura will do."

_So do I_, thought Sakura as she faced off once more against a newly resolve hardened Hinata. Sakura ran through her arsenal mentally: her ninjutsu comprised of the basic skills taught in the Academy – substitution, clone and transformation. Although her father had said that she seemed as though she possessed an aptitude for genjutsu, he had been unable to teach her, and neither he nor her mother had been able to arrange possible lessons with those who were more versed in the ways of illusion; therefore, he had taught her what he did know – taijutsu. _I guess I'll have to try and disable her up close,_ she thought grimly, not much looking forward to the upcoming conflict.

Hinata took in a few deep, calming breaths. She hadn't expected things to turn out this way, but in a way she was glad. Knowing that she had people – even a few – who were willing to support her in her strive for change made her whole body feel lighter, and she kept on smiling, whether she willed it or no. _Now, I have to prove that I can change,_ she thought determinedly, her mouth set in a straight line.

One more deep, settling breath and Hinata was off like a shot, her feet daintily touching the ground for the fleetest of moments as she cut the distance between herself and Sakura in a handful of heartbeats. Sakura, having seen Hinata's stalwart charge, responded in kind, her feet thumping the ground beneath her as she raced at Hinata, her fists tightly clenched.

As they met in the middle, Sakura slammed her fist forwards, intending to strike Hinata in the gut, hopefully winding her, however, Hinata predicted the attack and met the blow with her open palm. Wincing at the force behind the strike, Hinata watched as Sakura winced alike, pulling back her fist and gingerly touching her knuckles. _I can't feel my fingers,_ thought Sakura, looking at Hinata, almost in awe. _That taijutsu style of hers is dangerous. I can't let myself get caught by it again._

Gritting her teeth against the numbness locked in her right hand, she tensed the muscles in her left and swung, almost wildly, at Hinata's face. Hinata, not wanting to be struck, aimed to block her again, much as she had with the first attack. Stopping it mere centimetres from her face, she was rewarded with Sakura's gasp of pain as her Jūken struck, causing further damage to Sakura's main mode of offence.

Yet, Sakura was not done. She quickly dropped down, sweeping with her leg again as she had at the very beginning of the match. _I already weakened Hinata's legs earlier in the match,_ she reasoned. _All it will take is one solid blow and she'll crumple. I'm betting everything on this final attack!_

Her leg blitzed, the attack strong and true...only to be met by Hinata's palm. _What...?!_

Hinata allowed herself a small smile as she looked Sakura in the eyes, Byakugan-enhanced crystal meeting forest-green. "I won't be fooled for a second time, Sakura-san," she said as she hit Sakura's leg with one solid blow.

Sakura cursed as she felt her leg give way beneath her. Unbalanced, Sakura fell in a heap on the ground. Her legs beneath her – one of them injured beyond any further use without medical attention – Sakura was forced to stay where she was. Hinata towered over her, her Byakugan suddenly oddly menacing, a thin line where her lips should be. "Do you yield, Sakura-san?" she asked in an even tone.

Sakura looked away from Hinata; away from the scene of her failure; away from the person who had so thoroughly defeated her. She instead faced her gathered classmates, ignored the mixed looks of sympathy and mockery, and sought out one special person. _Sasuke-kun!_ she thought, her eyes finding the Uchiha, however, she realised that something was wrong. _Why doesn't he look at me? _Sasuke's gaze was fixed solely upon a vacant space in front of himself, clearly not interested in Sakura, her battle or her condition. _Isn't he upset by the fact that I'm hurt? Doesn't he care that I've fought my hardest? Is he not concerned about me at all?_ Her eyes had been slowly welling up with tears as she asked herself those questions. Finally, the dam broke as she thought one final thing: _Why will you not look at me?!_

Tears falling silently from her brilliant eyes, Sakura whispered, "I yield."

Iruka nodded, his face as serious as she had ever seen it. "The winner of this match by forfeit, Hyūga Hinata."

Hinata's face spoke volumes of disbelief as she was awarded the victory. Smiling softly, she extended a hand to Sakura. "Thank you, Sakura-san, for an amazing battle."

Sakura looked at the hand of friendship and felt herself smile back, despite the situation. Grasping Hinata's hand tightly, the two girls managed to get Sakura to her feet. Tucking her head beneath Sakura's armpit, she carefully supported Sakura's weight, walking the two of them back to their classmates. "You're changing, Hinata."

"Sakura-san...?" questioned Hinata, unsure of whether she had heard the pink-haired girl correctly.

"You're strong, Hinata," continued Sakura as if Hinata hadn't spoken. "You'll only get even stronger from here. I know you can make your dream come true."

Hinata's soft, shy smile, accompanied by colouring cheeks was Sakura's answer.

"That was a well-fought match," said Naruto as the girls came close. "Congratulations, Hinata-san."

"Thank you, Naruto-san," whispered a blushing Hinata, lowering Sakura to sit on the grass by Ino.

"Bad luck, Sakura, but you did your best," commiserated Ino as she knelt to check out Sakura's injuries. "Hmm," she pondered, softly touching Sakura's leg, making the pink-haired girl cry out. Backing away, she ran through a small number of hand-seals; around her hands, there seemed to be a strange glow – a luminescent green. Applying her hands to the leg, she watched as Sakura's face immediately began to loose its tension and her usual expression returned.

"Ino, is that...?" began Naruto.

Ino nodded her head. "Medical ninjutsu. I've been learning from my mother for a long time now. It's only recently that I've finally been able to get the control needed."

"That's really amazing, Ino!" smiled Naruto.

Ino, however, shook her head. "No, I still have a long way to go. My mother is still far more skilled than I am. Smaller injuries, such as this, are about the limit of my abilities."

"Don't put yourself down, Ino," said Naruto fiercely, making Ino's head jolt up. "I don't know how many medical ninja there are in Konoha, but I bet none of them is as young as you are. You've got to give yourself more credit."

"Naruto..."

"Honest, Ino!" he beamed, his words resonating with the sheer belief in her he held. "You are amazing."

Ino's cheeks brightened and felt so very warm as she allowed her best friend's words to wash over her. Looking down at her patient, she was rewarded for her efforts with the sight of Sakura resting peacefully, her eyes closed and her breathing set in a steady rhythm, indicative of her having fallen asleep. "She'll still need to be checked at the hospital properly once this tournament is over, but for now she'll be alright."

Releasing the jutsu, Ino fell back a little, causing Naruto to cry out in alarm. "I'm fine, Naruto," she reassured, seeing the concern in his eyes. "I just used a little bit too much of my chakra."

"Are you sure you're alright? What about our match?"

Ino managed to smirk, albeit tiredly. "Not to worry. Our match shouldn't be for at least another hour. I'm just going to...close my eyes...for a minute..." Her voice trailed off as she began to fall backwards in earnest. Naruto – already wary – fell to his knees, collecting her falling body in his arms. Looking closely at her face, he could see the sweat beading on her brow, and the way her whole body spoke of exhaustion, even as she softly breathed. _To go so far for a friend. You really are amazing, Ino_, he thought fondly, smiling gently.

"How cute!" gushed one of the girls who had been watching Naruto's expression change rapidly from panic to tenderness.

"I hope I find somebody who'll care for me like that someday," said another wistfully.

Sasuke snorted as he watched the whole sorry affair play out. What use were emotions like friendship and love? The only emotion he needed was hatred. Fostering it deep within his heart, his whole life had now been overrun by the powerfully dark emotion. After all, as the blood traitor had said, if his hatred was not strong enough, what hope did he stand? _Just you wait. I'm coming for you...Itachi!_

Iruka had watched Ino with amazement shining in his eyes. To think...here was one of his students, not even a genin, and yet able to perform an A-Rank ninjutsu. He had to reason that her chakra control was insanely high for her age. Of course, having a mother who was a medical ninja had to help, but even so, Iruka had high hopes for the Yamanaka heiress. To his mind, she had the potential to achieve anything.

"Next match – Nara Shikamaru against Akimichi Chōji. Would both combatants step forward?" Trudging forwards reluctantly, Chōji stood rigidly, his whole person screaming discomfort. "Good," said Iruka, before noticing that something was not quite right.

Shikamaru had not moved. He still stood lazily in the same spot he had occupied since the whole blasted tournament started. He didn't want to fight full-stop, yet alone against his best friend. _Why did I have to be put against you, Chōji?_ he thought. _I just wanted to graduate – no fuss, no hassle, no bother. Why does this happen to me?_

A sudden force against his back pushed Shikamaru forwards. Looking behind himself, Shikamaru saw the cause of his sudden momentum. "Naruto, you troublesome pest."

Looking pleased with himself, Naruto grinned brightly. "You can thank me later, Shikamaru!"

"Do you know how much of a pain you are?" grumbled the Nara, running a hand tiredly through his hair. When he got a black stare in response, Shikamaru sighed. "Such a pain..."

"Hey, Shikamaru, hurry up over here," ordered Iruka. With slow, measured steps, Shikamaru walked his weary way to where his best friend stood. "Good," repeated Iruka, now satisfied. "Are you both ready? Shikamaru?"

"This is too much work," complained the Nara – Iruka took that as a yes.

"Chōji?"

"Sensei?" replied the loyal Akimichi, turning his response into a question.

Iruka raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

Chōji shuffled uncomfortably on the spot. "I don't...do I have to fight Shikamaru?"

"That is the point of this exercise, Chōji," said Iruka patiently.

"But I...I don't want..."

"Chōji." Hearing his name said by the familiar voice, Chōji turned his eyes to Shikamaru. "It's fine, Chōji."

"But, Shikamaru..."

"It's a total pain, to be honest," said Shikamaru, his head held partially upright by his left hand. "You know me, Chōji. I'd much rather be at our favourite place, staring at the clouds. Of course," he said with a chuckle, "when I think of the earache I'll get if I don't at least try, well...You know how irate she can get." Chōji nodded in agreement. He had been present many a time when Shikamaru's mother launched into one of her infamous tirades. The results were usually...unpleasant.

"Still," continued Shikamaru, a rare, wry smile etched onto his face, "even though I really don't want to exert myself, I'm glad it's you I get to fight against, Chōji."

"Shikamaru..."

"You're my best friend," he stated simply.

"You are mine, as well," replied Chōji, his cheeks a ruddy red.

"Well, as your best friend, Chōji, I'm going to give this fight my all." Chōji opened his mouth to speak, but Shikamaru cut him to the quick. "Normally, I wouldn't be bothered, but this is your chance to become a genin. If I don't get serious against you, you won't have a chance to show just how hard you train. I won't let you fail, just because it's too troublesome."

"Shikamaru..." began Chōji, feeling his eyes watering. Rubbing the traitorous tears away, Chōji straightened up, and a serious expression blossomed. "I will fight, too. This is as much your chance as it is mine."

"Don't worry, Chōji," reassured the Nara. "No matter what happens, you are still my best friend. That fact won't ever change."

"Never," voiced Chōji, vehemently agreeing. Scrunching his face up, the loyal Akimichi fought deep in himself for the resolve to follow through with his words. He really didn't want to hurt his best friend, the one person to look beyond his outer appearance and clumsiness, and accept him as he was, without stipulations or qualms.

What Shikamaru had said had rung true deep down, though. If he had simply surrendered, it was unlikely that either of them would graduate – not having taken the chance to prove themselves would prove fatalistic to both of them. If Chōji wanted wither of them to advance, he would have to fight his hardest, and show Iruka and Mizuki that he was worthy of becoming a genin. Taking up a battle stance, he stared down his best friend. "Are you ready, Shikamaru?"

"Ah," replied the Nara, already formulating at least a dozen strategies he could choose to employ.

Iruka was smiling on the inside, despite his rough-seeming exterior. Already, the seeds of friendship and loyalty were sown with these two young men. Over time, the bonds they possessed would only grow ever stronger. _The Will of Fire burns strongly still_, he smiled. "Very well," he said. "Chōji; Shikamaru; begin!"

Placing his hands together, Chōji shouted out the name of his attack: "_Baika no Jutsu!_" His whole body expanded, almost as though he had suddenly been filled to overflowing with gas or water. Shikamaru looked at Chōji's actions; discarding several of his already formulated plots, he devised several more, taking into account the rapidly developing situation.

"_Nikudan Sensha!_" Withdrawing his hands and legs into his clothing, Chōji began to spin, rapidly gaining speed as his rolls became more forceful and driven. Finally, once he felt he was rotating at a sufficient pace, he moved, rolling towards Shikamaru faster than anyone gathered thought possible.

Shikamaru was ready. Dropping to his knee, he formed the rat seal. "_Kagemane no Jutsu!_" His shadow sprang into being, extending from Shikamaru's crouched position, aiming straight for Chōji's rapidly approaching form.

As the shadow reached Chōji, the Akimichi suddenly sped up even more, bypassing Shikamaru's shadow. _Damn! He's fast!_ Backtracking as fast as he may, his shadow did an about-turn, chasing down the runaway Chōji. Seeing the imposing form of Chōji's boulder-like appearance, Shikamaru dodged, leaping above, safely out of the path of Chōji's assault.

_His speed is the problem_, thought Shikamaru as Chōji began a tight turn, bringing him back on a collision course with the Nara. _I need a way to slow him down_. Thinking quickly, Shikamaru formulated the correct plan of action.

Watching Chōji's course carefully, Shikamaru began to throw kunai, seemingly in random directions. "What is he doing?" wondered one of the girls aloud.

"Is he really that bad at aiming?" another one scoffed.

Naruto remained quiet, though with what he knew of Shikamaru, it was obvious that he was not just throwing random kunai for the sake of it. With the Nara, there was always a very good reason as to why he did anything. Now, it was simply a case of waiting to see what the reason for this was.

Chōji couldn't hear the sounds of impact; his whole body was moving so rapidly, his ears were useless. Instead, he had to rely upon his ability to sense his surroundings. Admittedly, he still wasn't as good as his father, but for the purposes of this one-on-one battle, they were proving sufficient. Detecting Shikamaru's chakra, Chōji continued his full-on assault.

A sudden explosion rocked the field as several of Shikamaru's kunai blew up, taking out large chunks of earth, creating several ditches and craters.

"Exploding tags!" gasped the girl who had scoffed at Shikamaru.

"I see," breathed out Naruto, impressed with the Nara's plan.

Chōji could feel heat suddenly spring up as out of nowhere, and knew that something had occurred that would need him to rethink his strategy. Attempting to slow himself down, the Akimichi rolled headlong into one of the largest of the newly formed craters; with the speed he was still travelling at, Chōji was forced into the sky, his whole body resembling a runaway cannonball.

"Damn!" cursed Shikamaru, not having expected Chōji to still be moving quite so fast. Rolling out of the way as best he could, Shikamaru managed to avoid the runaway Akimichi, but not before sustaining an injury to his foot. Chōji was simply falling much too fast; having misjudged his timing, Shikamaru's leg had still been extended mid-roll when Chōji passed, leading to his foot being snapped back.

With his roll completed, Shikamaru was able to curse loudly, just as Chōji crashed back down to earth. Shikamaru felt certain his foot was broken. Gingerly touching a hand to his awkwardly angled appendage, he cried out as the nerves burned. _Yes, definitely broken_, he thought with a wry smile, watching as Chōji managed to clamber to his feet, the Akimichi's whole body shaking. "Hey, Chōji," greeted the Nara, his voice somewhat strained. "I don't think I'm going to be able to continue this fight any longer, sorry."

Looking at Shikamaru in confusion, Chōji suddenly noticed the awkward placement of Shikamaru's foot. "Oh my, Shikamaru! Are you alright? Did I do that? Oh, I'm so sorry!" he cried, his eyes watering.

"Hey, hey, Chōji," placated the pained Nara. "I'm fine. This is nothing to worry about. Don't go blaming yourself. I miscalculated, that's all." He turned to face a distant Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, I give up. This is way too much hassle."

"Understood," nodded the scarred chūnin. "The winner of the match by forfeit, Akimichi Chōji."

Chōji stumbled forwards, intent upon helping his best friend, only to be beaten by Mizuki. "Mizuki-sensei, what is it?" he asked.

"I'll take Shikamaru to the hospital, Chōji," said the white-haired chūnin. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Is that alright?" he asked, not wanting to miss cheering on his friends.

"It is up to you," shrugged Mizuki, stooping to scoop Shikamaru in his arms. Shikamaru gritted his teeth as best he could against the pain, but he couldn't help letting a groan escape past his lips.

That moan made up Chōji's mind. "I'll go with you," he said fiercely, helping to support Shikamaru's leg as he best he could.

Iruka watched them leave, a contemplative expression etched on his face. "Okay, next battle..."

Naruto sat with Ino, keeping watch over her as she slept. The other matches varied in degrees of excitement. One match was prolonged, the two boys using varying degrees of taijutsu and weaponry: a katana against a pair of sai – a very unusual weapon choice, yet the boy handled them expertly – to try and overwhelm each other. Eventually, the boy using the sai had proven to be the victor.

Another match was over swiftly. This one involved Shino against a girl who literally shrieked when she saw Shino's insects swarm from his hands. Not expecting the Aburame style of fighting, she surrendered almost instantaneously, causing Shino to mutter about squeamish opponents.

Naruto could sympathise. After waiting through six other matches, the Aburame had wanted to make the Aburame Clan proud, but instead ended up getting a bye. Naruto hoped that Iruka would allow for those whose opponents surrendered early, otherwise it was unlikely Shino would be able to advance, not having used any jutsu of any variety.

Perhaps an hour-and-a-half after Shikamaru and Chōji's match concluded, Iruka watched as a girl held her opponent – a terrified looking boy – in a powerful genjutsu. "I don't think he will be getting free from this technique, Iruka-sensei," said the girl, her voice oddly ominous.

"No, I agree," said Iruka evenly. "Very well, I am calling this battle. The winner – Kagami." Kagami released her genjutsu, leaving the boy breathing heavily in a heap on the floor, his eyes wide, spittle running down his chin. Walking up to the boy, Iruka placed a steady hand on his back. "Hey," he said, watching as the boy's eyes locked on his own immediately, "you're alright. Everything is fine."

The boy continued breathing heavily, his mouth moving as if to form words. "I...I...That...That was...horrible..." His voice was cracking with each syllable, until he finally broke. His eyes began watering, and wouldn't stop. His cries made some of his classmates nod in solemn support.

Iruka simply knelt awkwardly, patting the boy's back periodically, until one of the girls rushed up to him, her own eyes shimmering with tears. "Come along, Atsuo-kun," said the girl, smiling kindly at the whimpering boy, despite the fact that she wanted to cry just as much as he was. "Let's go and sit with our friends."

"Atsuko-nēchan," whispered Atsuo tearfully, allowing himself to be led away, Atsuko keeping a firm hold of her brother's shaking arm. She continued to whisper support to him as the walked back to their classmates.

_Finally, the time has come. I've been looking forward to this match_, thought Iruka, biased as to how much interest he had placed upon this match. It was with good reason, though. It would be a battle between possibly the two strongest members of the class, and after having seen what the one of them could do without batting an eyelash, he had nothing but great expectations for the fight. It would be the heiress of one of Konoha's oldest, most prestigious clans against the Kyūbi jinchūriki.

"It is time for the next match," he announced with aplomb, drawing the attention of every able-minded student. The air seemed alive, almost as if there was static floating around them. "Uzumaki Naruto will face Yamanaka Ino. Combatants, please step forwards."

He waited patiently for a handful of seconds – perhaps twenty or more – but nobody was forthcoming. "What's wrong?"

As it turned out, Naruto was still knelt with Ino. He hadn't yet woken her as he wanted her to get as much rest as she possibly could. He could tell how drained she was after having used her medical ninjutsu to help Sakura. Now, the time for resting was over. The time for fighting had arrived. "Ino," he whispered, gently tapping her shoulder. All she did was snuggle further into his lap, causing a chorus of simpering coos from the female population, while Naruto had to fight down a blush. "Hey, Ino, wake up," he said more forcefully, giving her a soft, but firm, shake. Blearily, Ino opened her eyes. "Hey there, sleepyhead," greeted Naruto, smiling at his best friend.

"What is it, Naruto?" she asked, blinking away the tiredness.

"It's time."

Ino perked up immediately at that. There was only one thing that Naruto's serious tone could make it out to be. "Okay," she said grimly, slowly getting to her feet. Without a glance back at Naruto, she walked away from him and the rest of their classmates, heading directly for Iruka.

Following after her, Naruto walked at a sedate pace, his mind whirling. Even now, he still didn't want to fight her, but after seeing Hinata's determination to change, and Chōji's resolve, he wouldn't allow his personal misgivings to get in the way. Ino had made him promise to give her his very best, and he would be damned if he would ever break it.

Finally arriving at the spot in front of Iruka, he faced her – his very best friend in the world, and his personal saviour. He could see the resolve burning in her eyes from where he stood. He swallowed past the trepidation welling in his chest, and faced her with the same intensity.

"Hey, Naruto," called Ino, "don't forget."

"I won't," replied Naruto. "A battle to remember, right?"

Ino smiled brightly. "Right."

Iruka nodded with approval at the two. _Looks like there won't be any holding back from these two. This looks as though it will be an interesting match._ Speaking out loud, the scarred chūnin looked to each of them. "Naruto, are you ready?

"Yes."

"Are you prepared, Ino?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei."

"Very well, then. Begin!"

xOxOx

**A/N: I don't normally do this, but I feel as though I have to thank each and every one of you for the support shown. Never in my almost two years here have I ever received such an outpouring of positivity from one of my stories, and I have all of you to thank for that. To be put on a single Community was an amazing achievement for me, so to be put on six is unreal, and this is only off six chapters! Who knows how high that number could go...**

**Now, onto the good stuff. Next chapter will be the long-awaited clash between Naruto and Ino. On my profile, I have a poll as to who you think will win, so please, let me see what you all think. Any questions you may have can be asked, and I always reply to every message and review I receive, so get in touch and let me know what's going through your mind.**

**In summary, thank you all. This story is as much of a journey for me as it is for you. Let us see where this adventure will take us.**


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